Illusions
by MageNellofGalla
Summary: It all started when Alanna decided to wear a dress. But one night of girlishness turned her simple life abstract with giggling new friends and the unwanted affections of her best friends. Undecided pairing.
1. Beauty of Chances

Alanna ignored Faithful's warnings as she slipped on her violet dress and black wig for the night. It was a wonderful day for a wonderful walk through the palace and no one could stop her from being beautiful. She looked into the mirror and saw a petite woman with black hair and lavender eyes. She sighed. "I'll need to do something about that," Alanna muttered to herself.

She opened the door adjoining her room with her knight-master's and crept inside.

_You'll get yourself into trouble,_ Faithful warned as he stalked in after her.

"No, I won't," Alanna denied.

Sneaking into Jon's rooms, she snooped for his old book on sorcery. It was a specific book she was looking for about illusions and such. Looking through the bookshelf, something caught her eye. It was a green handkerchief with the letter "D" on in it loopy writing. Alanna rolled her eyes. _'D' for Delia, I suppose,_ she thought, disgusted. What kind of woman would you have to be to throw yourself at men like that? Finally, she found what she was looking for and changed her eyes to blue.

Looking in the mirror, she was sure that no one would be able to think that Ariana and Alan were anything related.

_Are you sure you want to do this?_ Faithful asked as Alanna studied herself in the mirror.

"Why not?" Alanna asked her cat, brushing the black wig.

_Suit yourself,_ Faithful said, resigning to the bed where he curled up to sleep.

She walked out of her bedroom thinking, _back straight, chin up, heel toe, heel toe. Eyes, blue? They're still blue right?_ She took a mirror out of her pocket to check and let out a sigh of relief. Her magic worked! Now, Alanna could relax for the night while Jon went off entertaining people at court.

Alanna was thankful that no one was out and about in the hallways. Everyone was in the ballroom and those who weren't were either in their rooms or outside the palace. As she neared the ballroom, she had thoughts about going in and actually socializing. The thoughts disintegrated and Alanna planned on walking right past those big doors. All of a sudden, they opened to a large man with black eyes and curly hair who seemed to be sneaking out of the room, crouched low. Alanna studied the face in horror as she realized who its owner was.

"Raoul!" Alanna gasped.

"Lady I'm not acquainted with," Raoul said in the same fashion, eyes wide with panic. "Don't tell me you want to marry as well?"

"Of course not, you oaf." Alanna swatted at him.

"Well then who are you?" Raoul asked, stretching himself out.

_Great Goddess! Help me..._

"I'm A..." Alanna struggled to find the name she invented earlier. "..riana of Irontown," she finished in a more confident tone.

"How do you know me?" Raoul asked, bewilderment evident on his handsome face.

"Everyone knows you," she said matter-of-factly.

"Since when?"

"Since they concluded that you were gay," she said, amusement in her voice.

"Maybe," Raoul said, weighing the possibily.

"Well, it was wonderful to meet you but I really must be going," Alanna excused herself.

Raoul blocked her way.

"Wait. Are your eyes _purple?_" he asked, squinting at her.

_I'm in very deep trouble now,_ she thought as she tried to formulate a reason as to why he would think that her eyes are purple.

"No," she said abruptly. "My eyes are blue, see?" She concentrated on the spell that she used to make the illusion and hoped it worked.

"No, they're definitely purple," he said suspiciously.

"My eyes are blue," she insisted. "And I own them so you have no argument." She looked around, panicky. "You're probably just drunk... or dreaming. Or maybe you're dreaming about drunkedness."

"That's silly. I haven't had a drop of alcohol all night," Raoul laughed.

"Good for you!" she said, acting supportive. She pat his shoulder and nodded her head. "Keep up the great work on staying sober. I'm going to go back to my rooms." She continued to try and push through the big wall that was Raoul.

"So soon?" he asked. "Stay for one dance."

_Oh, no... _she thought. The last thing she needed was one of her best friends romancing her.

"I can't, so if you could please step out of the way..." Alanna tried in vain to get past the big knight.

"Just one." Raoul took her hand and on instinct, she flipped him. Alanna's jaw dropped as she registered what she had just done.

"Thank you," she muttered, scurrying away. "And sorry!" she added when she had put a few meters between her and her friend. Raoul smiled as he looked up to see the odd woman walk rather mannishly down the hall. He looked forward to seeing Lady Ariana at court more often.

* * *

><p>Alanna ripped the wig off her hair and let go of the spell she had been trying to keep all night. "I will never do that again," she swore to herself.<p>

_I told you that you shouldn't have gone out, _purred Faithful.

"Well you didn't do a good job to prevent me, now did you?" Alanna stuck out her tongue to her pet cat. She unlaced her dress and put it away into the safety of the small chest. "I'm going to read and then I plan on going to sleep," she declared.

_Jonathan came by, _Faithful informed her. _He was looking for you. Said that he needed his squire tonight afterall._

Alanna sighed in exasperation and changed into her squire's uniform. _"_I shouldn't've accepted his offer the night we defeated the Ysandir," she said grudgingly. "Being Gary's squire would've been nicer than having to go to _every_ social event at court."

When she was fully dressed, she walked out of the room and wondered what Jon needed her for. He said that she could have this night off because it was a fairly small party. She went through the doors that she passed by earlier and shook her head in amusement of her own folly. _I am _never_ doing that again,_ she thought once more. _Ever._

She searched for Jon through the crowd and figured that he must be surrounded by dozens of ladies at court. But no, he was trailing behind Delia like many of the other brainwashed knights and squires. She also noted that Raoul was nowhere to be seen. _Lucky,_ she thought.

When Jonathan spotted her, he greeted her gruffly. "Squire!" he called. 'Alan' rushed to Jonathan's side. "I'd like to introduce you to this beautiful lady," he said, smiling at the 'beautiful lady'. "Charmaine, this is Alan, my squire. Alan, this is Charmaine."

Despite the fact that she hated her situation, she plastered a smile to her face and bowed to the lady who stood beside Delia. "Lovely meeting you, Lady Charmaine." Alanna brushed her lips to the woman's knuckles thinking, _Jon will find something thick and slimy in his bed when he wakes up_.

"And you," she responded.

Alanna turned to Jonathan to whisper in his ear. "Is this all you wanted me for?"

"No," he whispered back. "I'd like to know how you spent the beginning of your free evening. But that can wait just like you can wait- on us for appetizers and drinks."

"Ha ha," she said sarcastically.

In a louder voice, Jonathan ordered Alanna to fetch them all drinks and food. She was going to wait on them for the rest of the evening. As she did so, she wondered if Jon knew about her bumping into Raoul.

After a while, Jonathan managed to force 'Alan' into dancing with Charmaine, Delia and a brunette named Thaliana. Alanna cursed Jon. He _knows_ that she hates these kinds of things. But not all of it was bad. She managed to listen in on all the conversations and found out that Thalia and Charm were fresh out of the convent and they apparently loved the palace as if they had never seen it before. Actually, they were much like other convent ladies: giggling, flirting, and fanning themselves. It was hard to find a convent girl that would really talk without giggling. On the other hand, she heard that Irontown had just lost half the village.

Alanna endured the torture right up until everyone started to leave and Jon excused himself, bringing Squire 'Alan' with him. On the way to their adjoining rooms, Jonathan started teasing her.

"So did you enjoy wearing a dress?" he asked casually.

Alanna scoffed. "No, absolutely not. And it'll never happen again so you don't need to worry about that."

"Oh, but poor Raoul will miss Lady Ariana," he teased.

"How did you find that out? Raoul was leaving the room when I bumped into him."

"I was by the door when you flipped him," Jon said, amusement in his voice.

"_Shit_," she said. "Did anyone else see?"

"No," he said. "At least I don't think so. But you still can't leave Raoul hanging like that. The gentle giant has never been interested in women before."

"I can and I will. Just watch me," Alanna said with confidence.

"You won't hurt the gentle giant, will you? That's just cruel," Jon said in mock disbelief.

"I don't need any of this," Alanna said, tired. "I just want to earn my shield so I can set off and adventure. "

"But if I order you to dress up as a Lady to clear things up with Raoul, you'd need to obey. It's the code of Chivalry," Jon pointed out.

"You are just the _best_ Knight Master I can have," Alanna said drily, fire blowing out of her mouth.

"I can see that you're tired," Jon said, trying to avoid getting on Alanna's bad side. "I'm tired too! So I'll just go to sleep." Jonathan smiled an annoying smile and picked up the pace hastily.

Alanna glared at Jon. He was her best friend but he could also be plain annoying.

By the time Alanna got to her rooms, she had really weighed the decision of presenting herself at court as a woman for some time. If she got into trouble, she'd say that she has to move far away to avoid family matters or an ex-lover. It's as simple as that. But on the other hand, if she dressed up as a girl again, she might find herself in the same awkward situation.

Slipping into bed, she emptied her mind but struggled to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>"You should've met her," Raoul rambled on. "She had purple eyes! Just like Alan's! But she insisted that her eyes were blue. She's silly, isn't she. Lady Ariana. I hope she comes back tomorrow evening."<p>

"Raoul, interested in a lady at court?" Gary said in disbelief. "The immortals are being released from the divine realm."

"She flipped me!" Raoul said before stuffing a spoonful of food into his mouth. "Do you know what kind of woman it takes to flip me?"

Jonathan came to sit beside his squire. "Who flipped you?" he asked. _As if you don't know,_ Alanna thought.

"Lady Ariana," Raoul replied excitedly. "You absolutely must meet her. Do you think that she'll come for dinner tomorrow? I'll introduce you to her."

"What if she doesn't come?" Alanna asked.

"I'll just have faith that she will," Raoul answered simply.

A pit formed in Alanna's stomach. If she did attend the ball tomorrow, then she'd save herself from a night serving as Jon's squire and at the same time, she'll clear things up with Raoul. But doing so would mean meeting all her friends again but with a different identity, a different sex.

"I look forward to meeting her," Jonathan said, eyes on Alanna who was poking her food absentmindedly.

"Me too," Gary agreed. Alanna sighed inwardly.

"Me too," she said, glancing at the surprised look on Jon.

"Let's just hope that she comes," Raoul said, eyes dreamy. "You'll definitely get along, with her, Alan. You have the same eyes."

"Whoopie," Alanna said sarcastically.

"Unless you want to be the only one in the world with purple eyes," Raoul said. "She says that they're blue anyways so you've got the credit."

Alanna poked at her food again, disappointed with herself. Her illusion hadn't worked and now, she was going to try it out again in a short amount of time. Maybe she could ask Jonathan for some help.

She did her duty as a squire subconsciously as her mind was at work forming a plan for the following night. She engraved the name into her mind: Ariana of Irontown. She also drew the memory of the conversation the night before about Irontown's fire and how the fief was now weak and very poor. She would be Ariana of Irontown, sent to court to find a husband so she could save her fief from starvation and the power of the elements.

_That works,_ she thought as she brushed Moonlight. _Then I'll tell Raoul that I ran off because I was feeling nauseous and I threw him in self defense which I learned from the Shang Centaur as he was passing through Irontown. _Alanna nodded at her own idea. _Self defense. He'll buy that._

"Are you okay, Alan?" Jon said from the stall door. "Nodding to nothing can sometimes mean insanity."

"I'm already insane for doing this," she muttered miserably.

"You're insane because you're grooming Moonlight," he stated just so he could hear it in words.

"No, you dolt," Alanna snapped. "For going out in the palace at night in a_ dress_."

"And you'll be doing it again tomorrow night," Jonathan said cheerily. "But you'll need to get a different one," he pointed out.

"What's wrong with the one I have?" Alanna asked. Jon looked around to check for listeners and put an anti-eavesdropping spell on the stall and shut the door behind it.

"Women don't wear the same dress over and over again," he said as if he knew it as much as any court lady. "Haven't you noticed Delia?"

Alanna sighed. He was right... But how much would the dress cost? "I can't afford a new dress," she told her knight master.

"I'll buy one for you," Jon said casually.

"Right," she drawled. "And what will you gain from this experience?"

"Who says I can't buy a dress for my squire just because I want to?"

"I do," Alanna said, putting the brush away and picking up some cotton swabs and oil. "Now tell me. What's in it for you?"

"I can't wait to watch you being a lady," he said, smiling. Alanna looked up at him and then at the bucket of water in the corner. _I could just throw it in his face..._ she thought. _No, Moonlight won't have water if I did that._

"Fine," she said finally. "Buy me a dress."

"I can't buy you a dress!" Jon said.

"Then why'd you offer?" Alanna asked. This was absurd.

"I'll give you the money but I can't pick out a dress for you. I don't know how," Jon explained.

"Okay then, I give you permission to pay for my dress," Alanna said, cleaning Moonlight's ears. "But can you still come? I'd like a second opinion."

"For you? Of course," Jon said.

"And do you mind if you help me with one spell?" she said, throwing the cotton away. "I need to master the illusion I put on my eyes last night."

"_That's_ why you kept saying that your eyes are blue," Jon said, nodding his head. "Sure, I'll do it."

"Thanks, Jon," Alanna said, a true grin on her face.

"Kyprioth must be deceiving my eyes," Jon said, amusement in his voice. "All this fuss just for Raoul."

This time, she did dump some water on him but she was forced to fill the bucket back up for Moonlight afterward.

* * *

><p>In the afternoon, Jonathan took Alanna to buy a dress.<p>

"How about this one?" the saleswoman asked Alanna. "I'm positive that you'll look beautiful in it."

"Like I said, it's not for me," Alanna said smiling. "It's for my sister."

"Right." The saleswoman winked. "Don't worry. I know most lads get that odd feeling sometimes."

Alanna looked at Jonathan with a bit of a disgusted look. He shrugged.

"How about this one?" the saleswoman continued. "This one will look gorgeous on your sister."

"I'm pretty sure that according to the saleswoman, every dress in here will look good on you," Jonathan whispered into her ear.

"That's why I brought you along," Alanna whispered back.

After about five dresses, Alanna found one that was light blue with a very modest neck line. It fit snug around Alanna's small frame and the icy blue sleeves flowed over her muscly arms. The skirt had minimal puffiness and swirly designs cascaded down the garment. At the waist was plain blue lace that could be tightened to make her look thinner. Alanna thoroughly disliked the thought of a corset and firmly denied Jon's offer to buy her one. The lace could be a compromise. (I need to work on describing dresses so if you don't like mine, go ahead and put Alanna into one that you'd like.)

Jon gave the saleswoman her money and accepted the bag that held the new dress.

Later that night, Jonathan helped Alanna with her spell and by the ninth bell, she had already mastered it.

"Thank you so much, Jon," Alanna said, blue eyes shining. "I owe you."

"That you do," Jon said. "Now go to your room. I'd like to sleep."

"Yessir." And with that, Alanna went back into her room to sleep, letting go of the magic that kept her eyes blue.

_I am Ariana of Irontown. I have come to court in search of a husband to save my fief from poverty. I was trained by my relatives and the Shang Centaur for self defense which is why I threw Raoul onto the ground. I was lightheaded last night which was why I ran off. My eyes were purple then because they change whenever I get sick or dizzy._

Alanna replayed it in her head. It was a fine plan. If anything else happened, she'd just make it up along the way

Although everything was good to go, Alanna had trouble falling asleep. Her mind just kept asking her one question:

_What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

><p><em>(AN) _This is supposed to be Raoul/ Alanna BUT my mind isn't made up yet and her path might fork if I feel like it. Please review! I love reviews. They make me feel fuzzy inside.


	2. A whole lot of favors

Alanna stood in the line-up, fidgeting. She had no experience in these types of things. All she knew was from the lessons given to her by Mistress Cooper and they had not been going on for that long.

"Don't be nervous," Jonathan instructed. "You should only get a few glares."

Alanna rolled her eyes. Why would anyone be jealous of her? They shouldn't be jealous of her. She was in no way interested of the crown prince, then again, no one else knew that.

Although she had disagreed on going with Jon, she didn't have much of a choice since she couldn't randomly appear as a girl and wait for someone else to ask.

* * *

><p>When the herald called their names, Alanna emerged from the doors with Jon on her side.<p>

"They look related!" someone said.

"Who is she? I've never seen her before," another voice squeaked.

This is the basic summary of the whispers uttered as they cascaded down the flight of stairs. Alanna swore she felt the temperature in the room rise.

After Gary was announced with Charmaine, they sat at the table with Jon. As everyone had their attention on the court ladies cascading down the great stairs, Raoul had snuck into the ballroom unnoticed and sat at their table.

After the last woman was announced, pages emerged from the doors to serve the guests. Alanna was startled to see Raoul sitting at the table and he was just as startled to notice that she was there. "Hullo," he said.

"I am so sorry," Alanna started. "My reflexes told me to flip you."

Raoul laughed. "It's no problem." He accepted a bowl of scented water from a page. "But _I_ should be the one to apologize. It seems that your eyes really are blue."

She praised herself silently. _Yes!_ She thought. "My eyes were purple the other night because they change when I get lightheaded," she explained. "Which leads to why I ran off."

Raoul nodded. "Understood."

*_Ahem*_

It was Gary. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Raoul smiled sheepishly "Ariana, this is Gareth the younger of Naxen. Gary, this is Ariana of Irontown."

Gary smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'd kiss your hand but it appears that you're washing them in the soup," he said, amusement in his voice.

She gasped down in horror. The pages had served the soup bowls without removing the rinsing bowls. "I like to eat with my fingers," she said hastily, trying to act like she meant to do that. "I believe it gives the food more taste." She kicked herself mentally. She sounded like a mountain villager.

As hard as they tried, they couldn't hold back laughter. Even Raoul found himself chuckling. Only Gary could stop long enough to reply.

"As much as I find your strategy useful, I prefer using salt to add flavour to my meals."

Alanna looked down in embarrassment and wiped her fingers. She proceeded to wash them in the scented water as she fought down a blush.

Jon sighed and all of a sudden, he dunk his own fingers into his soup. "I like your idea, Ariana," he said coolly. "Let's see if it works."

The laughing stopped as they watched the prince eat _soup_ with his fingers... Gary looked down into the yellow liquid and did the same as Jon. Charmaine and Raoul followed suit.

Alanna smiled up at him. _Thank you, thank you, thank you!_ She thought. _I could kiss you!_

Jonathan leaned down to whisper in Alanna's ear. "You're welcome," he said, "again."

Thankfully, they stopped when they noticed that saliva did not produce a very good smell on their fingers.

"I'm afraid nothing beats some salt and utensils, my lady," Jon said as he rinsed his fingers.

"Agreed," Charmaine said with a nod as she followed his example.

Raoul and Gary did the same as Charmaine started up a conversation with 'Ariana'.

"So, tell me, Ariana," she started. "Where've you been hiding? I don't believe that I've seen you at the convent before."

"The convent houses many other young ladies," Alanna reasoned. "Besides, I don't like to attract a lot of attention to myself."

Charmaine took time to ponder her answer and soon accepted that she was simply the shy type. "I hear that half of your fief was burned to the _ground," _she said dramatically, effectively changing the topic. "How are you faring?"

"The commoners got out fine but we've gone broke," Alanna answered sadly. "We can barely put food in their hands."

Charmaine clucked her tongue and shook her head sadly. "You poor dears," she said sympathetically. "How will your family pay for repairs?"

Alanna sighed. "My father is marrying me off," she said. "It's just a good thing that I'm allowed to choose who I'm going to marry. But if neither I nor my brother can find wealthy spouses, we'll be forced to hand over the fief to someone who is financially insured. We can't just leave them like that."

"So you have a deadline?" Charmaine inquired. Alanna nodded. "Oh, at least you get to choose," she said, looking at the bright side.

Jon who was listening in on the conversation leaned down to whisper in her ear. "And what will be the reason as to why you mysteriously disappear?"

Alanna bit the inside of her mouth. "I'll think about that when it happens," she replied.

Turning back to her meal, she noticed that it was gone. The soup seemed to have vanished.

_It's either I eat really fast or someone has stolen my soup_,she thought, looking at Gary and Raoul suspiciously. But she couldn't do anything about it now. The pages were clearing away the dishes and replacing them with beef steak with rice and mixed vegetables.

"It's too bad that Alan isn't here," Raoul said. Alanna jumped at the mention of her boy name, earning her some suspicious stares and a stomp on her foot from Jon.

"Ow!" she exclaimed. She looked around the table and smiled sheepishly. "An ant bit me"

They continued as if nothing happened.

"Yeah, where is Alan, Jon?" Gary asked.

_Stop saying my bloody name,_ she thought as she told herself not to jump anymore. _You're going to give me away!_

Alanna looked at the prince, waiting for his response.

"He was feeling sick tonight so I sent him to bed early," Jon said with a glance to Alanna.

Alanna sighed inwardly. Jon could've said 'Alan has barricaded himself in his rooms. I could call him if you'd like' and she was very grateful that Jonathan was a nice person. At the same time, however, she did not like how he worded the phrase. 'I sent him to bed early.' What was she? A toddler? Alanna brushed it off and continued eating the meat on her plate.

"Speaking of Alan," Charmaine said. "I hear he defeated that Tusaine knight. What was his name again? Dick?"

"Dain," Raoul and Alanna said at the same time. They looked at each other, blushed and looked away.

"Dain," Charmaine corrected herself with a sheepish smile. "I would absolutely love to meet the boy who could defeat a full grown knight. He had a chance to kill the knight, you know. But he _didn't_. The boy has too much honour to kill the barbarian."

Alanna blushed at the compliment even though she knew that it wasn't exactly meant for her at the time.

"You like him, don't you?" Charmaine accused. "I would too if he was taller. He has purple eyes, you know? Mysterious if you ask me. He has a twin too."

Alanna looked at the girl with big eyes. "No, of course I don't like Alan," she said.

"Of course. Why want the prince's squire when you have the prince _himself_ on your arm?" she whispered only loud enough for Alanna to hear. "You look good together," she added.

Alanna looked up to her best friend. She had to admit: he was handsome. But frankly, she wasn't interested in romance. Whether it be with the crown prince or a lower city rogue. Jon looked down to find her staring and Alanna averted her eyes.

Alanna shook her head at her new friend. "No way," she whispered.

"How about one of these big fellows?" she said. By 'big fellows' she meant Raoul and Gary. Alanna sized the two up. She _knew _Gary and Raoul. Gary was the most sarcastic person she knew; not to mention the smartest. Raoul was known as 'the Gentle Giant' for his size and his peaceful nature. He was also quite the drinker. Then again, was there a youth that wasn't?

Although she knew that they were not bad guys, she still could not imagine romance with either one of them.

"Nope," she said. Instead of continuing her matchmaking session, Charmaine resolved to finishing her food.

"Well, even if you're not interested in him, Raoul seems to be quite fond of you," she stated. "He's quite nice, not to mention handsome."

Alanna sighed inwardly. She had almost forgotten about the fog that she needed to clear with Raoul.

"He's rich as well," she added. "Isn't that why you're marrying?"

Alanna thought about her words. Marrying for money seemed very mean and she didn't like the thought. Then again, she shouldn't be thinking of marriage at all!

"I've never actually planned on marrying," she confessed. "I never even planned on falling in love, truth be told."

"Oh, that'll change in time, dear," Charmaine said. "One day, a man will sweep you off your feet and your going to laugh at the fact that you ever thought of that."

Alanna snorted at her words and Charmaine just laughed.

The courses kept coming and Alanna had discussed topics ranging from flowers with Charmaine to wars with Jonathan, Gary and Raoul by the time horns sounded - announcing the arrival of someone important. After a whisper from one of the ladies from the other table, Charmaine informed them that dinner would be extended to a party in honour of Princess Thalia of Galla.

Alanna glared at the princess as she walked down the stairs with Alex by her side. She had deep blue eyes which matched her ocean blue gown with gold trim. Her brown hair fell in curls past her shoulders and on the top of her back. Although she seemed like a nice girl, Alanna couldn't help but hold a little anger against her. The one time Alanna attends dinner as a girl, this woman needs to waltz in and extend it to a ball. If she arrived so abruptly, shouldn't she be too tired from travelling to party?

_Now I have to stay here for who knows how many hours because of you_, she thought bitterly.

But the princess continued to smile in a princess-like manner, wanting to impress the court at first glance. She was beautiful, all right. With freckles dusting her face from one high cheekbone to the other and full lips, she could have any boy at court but she had her eyes on someone at Alanna's table. She steered her escort to their table. Jonathan was the first to stand and greet the foreign princess.

"Good evening, your highness," he said. Jon then accepted the hand she was offering and kissed it. Gary and Raoul followed his example soon afterwards and then they all sat down.

"How were your travels?" Gary asked Thalia. "It must've been quite long."

"It was uneventful," she replied dully. "We got bought some cheddar cheese on the way, though. It was delicious," she said with a happier tone.

"Most cheddar cheese is," Gary replied.

"But his cheese was much better than others. Would you like some? I believe that my driver has kept a whole roll preserved," she said, smiling.

"I would like that," Gary said. Their polite conversation as the dinner continued.

* * *

><p>The pages started to clear the tables away for the dancing. Jon offered Alanna a hand. "May I have this dance?"<p>

Alanna looked at him for a moment, startled. Why would he want to dance with her? Then it hit her. Jon was still her escort. Alanna nodded and let herself be whisked away to the dance floor. The musicians played a waltz and Alanna danced to the beat, calling upon the experience from the times when she played the role of the female in etiquette.

"You have to dance at least twice," Jon said. "Besides, you're actually not bad."

"Thank you?" Alanna replied. Was that a compliment? Or did he expect her to be a bad dancer.

"You're welcome," Jon said with a smile. She shrugged it off, guessing that it was a compliment.

"How am I supposed to repay you?" Alanna asked. Up until two days ago, most of the things she planned for Jon were negative. Now, the red-headed squire felt that she owed her knight master greatly for all he had done for her.

"You actually don't need to repay me," Jon said.

"You can't be serious," Alanna said, looking up into his eyes from under her eye lashes.

"This night is enough payment," he said, amusement in his voice.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Alanna asked, insulted.

"'I like to eat with my hands. I believe that it give the food more taste,'" he quoted in his best girl voice.

Alanna blushed. "Ugh. Don't remind me."

"And the worry in your eyes when I had the chance to make this night hell for you. Not to mention the sight of you in a dress! I thought that you would go to the ends of the earth to avoid wearing a dress."

Alanna smiled up at her knight master. "You do remember that you're the one who bought it, don't you?"

"Of course," he said. "How could I forget that saleswoman? But I bet that she's right."

"Now what does _that _mean?" Alanna asked, confused.

"You would probably look good in any dress in that shop," he said, flashing all his white teeth.

Alanna stepped on his foot. "Whoops," she said, acting innocent. Her eyes shone with mischief. "I'm a terrible dancer."

"What a coincidence!" Jon exclaimed. "So am I." And with that, the prince stepped on one of Alanna's little feet.

"Yes. But _I_ don't need to be lady-like," Alanna said, attacking his toes once more. "And as the prince, you must be a gentleman and excuse me for my inadequate skill in dancing."

"Oh, but surely they would understand that even the prince makes mistakes," he said, his eyes matching hers. He looked behind Alanna.

_What are you thinking?_ She thought, studying his face.

All of a sudden, he twirled her around and when she stopped spinning, she found herself facing Gareth the younger.

"She's all yours," he said before he ran off into the crowd.

'Ariana' blinked her eyes as she registered what had just happened. She looked up into Gary's eyes and thought _oh, great. _

"May I have this dance?"

Alanna smiled and nodded as she accepted Gary's hand. They continued the waltz Jonathan left behind.

"Are you enjoying your stay at court, my lady?" Gary asked, leading her through the dance.

"So far... I guess," Alanna answered.

"How long will you be staying?" he asked.

"Until Midwinter. My father expects me to find a husband who will propose to me in only a few weeks." Alanna sighed, playing the role of 'the poor daughter forced into marriage.'

"You'll have no problem finding a husband," he commented. "Beauty works on most of them and you've got plenty of it."

Alanna laughed. "Don't waste your breath complimenting me. I already know I'm hideous."

"But you do yourself a great injustice," Gary insisted. When he saw the look on her face, he decided to stop. "Fine. A lady is always right."

"Now that, I believe," she said, smiling up at her friend.

"Oh, really?" Gary asked in disbelief. Most convent ladies hardly knew anything.

"Test me," she challenged, nose stuck up in the air.

"All right..." Gary said, trying to formulate a question. "When was the Book of Gold created?"

"Two-hundred-and-eleven B.H.E," she answered immediately. She always loved history.

"Who was King Roger the third's wife?"

"Queen Jessamine."

"Who is the current ruler of Scanra?"

"Trick question," she said with a smug smile on her face. "Scanra isn't ruled by anyone. It is made up of clans and no one has been able to get them all under one banner."

Gary grinned. "So you _are_ educated. Can you do figures?" Alanna nodded. "A regular scholar," he said with a laugh.

It was like _déjà vu_. It reminded her of her first day as a page. She grinned not only at the compliment but also at the memory.

"My father made sure of it," she sighed.

"As did mine."

"So how did you enjoy dinner?" Alanna asked before the silence turned awkward.

"It was fine," he replied offhandedly. "And you?"

"It was absolutely wonderful until it got extended." Alanna's tone was complaining.

"I take it you don't enjoy parties." Alanna nodded. "Just like Raoul." He smiled. "He couldn't stop talking about you the other day."

Alanna smiled and looked down as if she was flattered but inside, she was thinking: _Oh, please. Don't remind me. I mean it, please._

"He said that you insisted that your eyes were blue although they looked purple." Gary chuckled. "But they certainly are a beautiful blue tonight."

_Thank you, so much for not reminding me,_ she thought sarcastically. She smiled up at her friend. "There you go again, lying."

Gary sighed. Lady Ariana was not like other convent girls who would giggle and bat her eyes at him whenever he commented on their beauty. No. She insisted that she was hideous. "Raoul is rather smitten with you," he said. "The question is: Are you smitten with him?"

Alanna scowled. Why did everyone say that? "I hardly know the man." Alanna shrugged. "He falls rather fast though."

"Well, that's obvious." Gary laughed. "You flipped him!"

"You're smart enough to know that's not what I mean." Alanna tried to shoo the redness of her face away. She really hadn't meant to do that.

"Well, actually Raoul hasn't been interested in many other ladies at court," Gary said plainly. "So there ought to be something special about you for Raoul to be interested."

Alanna bit her lip. She really_ must_ straighten things out with Raoul. But right now, she didn't like the topic so she tried to turn the conversation around. "How are you and Lady Roxanne?" she asked. "I hear you kissed her for twenty gold nobles." She laughed.

Gary blushed. "It was ten gold nobles," he corrected. "And there is no romance between us. Just one kiss."

Alanna gave a half smile. _"_Of _course,"_ she said drily.

"I swear by Mithros," he said seriously.

"Okay, okay." The use of Mithros' name made Alanna believe him. "Oh, listen. The song's ending!" _Oops,_ she thought. _That sounded rather rude..._

"Well, then I apologize for my terrible dancing." Gary was merely acting offended and Alanna could tell. But remembering that as Ariana wasn't supposed to be able to read the person she had just met, Alanna said sorry.

"Sir Gareth, I apologize. It wasn't supposed to sound like that. I just don't like dancing in general." She bit her lip.

"As I said before: just like Raoul," he said with a smile. He bowed as the song ended and took her hand to place a kiss on the back of it. "It was wonderful to meet you, Lady Ariana. But do watch where you stick your fingers."

Talking with Gary as a girl made her feel odd and she couldn't explain why. Instead, she curtsied the best she could and went over to a page to get a drink. She sat down with a sigh and let the contents of her cup pour into her mouth.

She nearly spat out the contents of her mouth when she realized that she had taken a swig of wine and not grape juice but she made herself swallow. The bitter taste made a shiver go down her back.

"Like the wine, Lady Ariana?" Jon asked from behind her.

"I absolutely _love _it," she drawled sarcastically. "The flavour sends shivers down my spine."

He sat beside her and put an arm on her chair. "Then why don't you take another sip."

She glared up at her knight master. "But, sir, I'd like you to try it." She waved the goblet in front of his face. "It'd be selfish if I kept it all to myself."

"But I have my own." Jon smiled as he held up his own goblet and took a sip. By now, he was used to the taste but Alanna did not enjoy drinking alcohol as much as her knight friends. When he saw that Alanna was looking a bit green, he changed the topic. "Raoul is sitting right over there." He pointed towards the big knight who was sitting on the window sill, looking at the moon. The curtain waved in the wind to reveal the 'gentle giant'. "Go talk to him."

Alanna sighed. She knew it'd come to this.

"Come on, _Ariana_." Jon nudged her. "The only reason he's staying at all is because he's building up the courage to ask you to dance. Go talk to him so the poor man can leave."

When Alanna didn't move or speak, Jon tried to push her off the chair. "Go on," he whispered. "If you don't, I'll pull you off this chair- no matter how goofy I'll look."

Alanna tried her best to keep herself rooted to the chair but in the end, Jon's strength won.

"Fine," she said miserably. Alanna shook Jon's grip off her arm. "I'm going."

Jonathan's lips pulled into a grin as he watched the small girl dressed in blue weave through the crowd.

* * *

><p>When Alanna finally reached Raoul's hiding place, she lifted up the curtain to a large knight biting his lip and wringing his fingers. She chuckled inwardly.<p>

"Hello." She put on a polite smile.

Raoul jerked at the greeting, unprepared for someone to find his usually trusty hiding spot.

"Oh, it's you," he said in relief. Then he realized that he sounded rude and started babbling. "I mean: it's you!" he jumped up from his seat. "I thought it was a matchmaking mother!" He fixed his tunic and smoothed his hair. Alanna tried her hardest not to laugh at his antics and in the end; she just couldn't help but grin. "Who told you I was here? My window sill is very hard to find."

"Jon told me where you were." Alanna turned to look at Jonathan who was looking at the couple from behind his wineglass. He gave an encouraging nod to get her to keep talking.

"Well would you like to dance?" Raoul held out a hand.

Alanna bit her lower lip. "I'd be honoured," she answered at last. She accepted his hand and let herself be led onto the dance floor as the dance changed to a Ronda.

They danced in silence until Alanna stepped on his foot as a result of her nervousness. "Sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay." Raoul smiled down at her and Alanna looked up. She saw a sparkle in Raoul's eyes in that very moment and she was frightened of it. She also felt that she didn't have the heart to break his and decided that maybe their little talk could be postponed. Instead, she struck up a conversation of fighting techniques and she threw in a dash of the upcoming ball to properly welcome the princess to add to her character of a court lady.

Raoul kissed the back of 'Ariana's' hand and excused himself saying that he was rather sleepy. Alanna sat on the chair that Jon had extracted her from earlier with a sigh. She watched Raoul sneak out of the ballroom slowly and she also noticed that Jon gave him an empathetic pat on the back. When Raoul gave Jon a confused look, Jon shook his head with a smile on his face. Raoul shrugged and continued walking out of the room.

Alanna glared at Jon as he hurried towards her.

"You didn't tell him!" he scolded in a hushed tone. "You can't just lead him on like that!"

"I also can't just break his heart on the spot." Alanna sighed. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I guess that you can't do anything now..." He sat down on the chair next to Alanna, rubbing his chin in thought. "Just enjoy the rest of the party. Raoul will still be there in the morning if you want to tell him anything."

Alanna chewed on her lip as she considered his suggestion. "Fine," she said finally. "I'd rather party than serve you as your squire and dance with my own sex."

Jon laughed. "So you'd rather dance with me that serve me as my squire?" he asked smugly.

"I'd rather dance with _anyone_ than serve you as your squire," she retorted.

Jon smiled and stood up. "Well then let's dance." He pulled Alanna out of the chair for the second time and she got up willingly.

She danced with Geoffrey after she danced with Jon and searched for a page with a drink of some sort. She was parched! But as she walked, an apple seemed to have lost its way onto the floor and placed itself in front of Alanna's feet. She tripped and before she understood what happened, two arms caught her around the waist and her hands were settled on someone's chest.

"We really must stop meeting like this." Alanna looked up into chestnut eyes and blushed fiercely. It was Gary. He opened his mouth to speak but Alanna slipped out of his grip and stumbled backwards, muttering an apology. A few steps later, she bumped into a page carrying a wine tray. She yelped as the cold, red, alcoholic drink poured onto the wig and seeped into her dress. The music stopped playing. _Oh, great,_ she thought drily. _Yes, musicians, stop playing so that _everyone_ will have their attention on me. _

"My lady..." Gary started with a worried look on his face. He moved forward to assist her but she shooed his hand away, embarrassed tears threatening to escape her eyes.

"My lady, I'm so sorry," the page said. No matter how nice he sounded, Alanna felt that he was laughing inside just like everyone else in the ballroom. _Where were you when I was looking for you! Now you come and spill your wine all over me?_ Alanna thought angrily. She would've screamed at him if she could but there was a knot in her throat and she didn't want to reveal how shaky her voice was.

Jon dropped his grip on his blonde dancing partner and strode over to the scene. "Page," he said gruffly. "Watch where you serve your wine. Surely, you saw that there was someone in front of you."

The page looked down as if ashamed. "My apologies, your highness."

His eyes flicked to Alanna. "You mustn't be comfortable in those wet clothes," he said gently. "Let me escort you to your rooms."

Alanna blushed even harder, if that was possible. All she could do was nod. Tears were already rushing down her cheeks. Jon led Alanna across the room, an arm around her waist as the crowd watched in silence. They walked through the door. The whole room stayed that way for a long time, shocked. Only when the violin of the orchestra played a note did the room awake.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Alanna," Jon sighed. "What will I do with you?"<p>

"I'm sorry," she croaked. He glanced at her and noticed that tears had escaped from her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" He took out a handkerchief and wiped her face.

"Cold wine sort of got poured onto my head," she replied with a chuckle. "If you haven't noticed."

Jon smiled. Even though she was publicly humiliated, his squire could still crack a joke.

"I'll send a maid for some heated water." He put the cloth away. "I want you to bathe and go to sleep."

"That's what I planned on doing in the first place," she said.

They arrived at Alanna's room and as Alanna unlocked the door, Jon set off to get a maid. She locked the door once more and undressed. When Jon came back, Alanna hid behind the door and accepted the water, insisting that she would be the one to pour it in the tub. Jon shrugged and handed the pot to her. When he turned to leave, Alanna was surprised that he didn't plan on going back to the party. "Why aren't-," Alanna started.

Sensing her question, he answered right away. "Relax," he said. "I'm just going to get a new handkerchief."

"Sorry," Alanna said quietly.

"It's okay," Jon insisted. "Now go shower. You smell terribly of wine."

Alanna snorted as she closed the door and Jon could barely hear her say "You smell just as bad as I do."

He laughed and went into his room.

When Alanna was fully dressed, she slipped into bed and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>In the middle of the night, she heard someone creep through the door which connected her rooms with Jonathan's. She opened her eyes. "Jon?" She rubbed her eyes. "What are you doing?"<p>

"I'm getting your wig," he whispered. "Now go back to sleep." Jon rummaged through her things until he found what he was looking for. Right when he was about to leave, Alanna peeped up.

"Jon."

He turned. "Yes?"

"Thank you so much," she replied with a smile. "I owe you a ton."

The prince walked up to her, shaking his head. "You owe me nothing." He bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "Go back to sleep."

She nodded and turned onto her side, wrapping her blanket around herself in the process.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN)This is the longest chapter I've written so far! And when I tried to make it exactly 5000, I realized that I was also going to write an Author's Note so I just left it alone. :P **

**Remember when I said it could **_**possibly**_** be Alanna/Raoul? Well, it remains possibly. If it does happen to be A/R, then I hope to start an Alanna/Gary fic. But I also have one for Rikash... Hmm. Maybe I have too many ideas. Oh, well. I am definitely going to write the one for Rikash first though.****Shout out to TamariChan for telling me that the announcer would be called a herald. :) Very much appreciated. Also, thank you so much to those who reviewed: rachLA, uknown o.O, TamariChan, and Country Booklover. ^_^**

**As always, reviews are welcome and so is any critique. **

**OXOXOX – Nell**


	3. Foggy

Alanna slept like a baby and had to be awoken with a bucket of ice water. She gasped at the sudden cold and wetness and swore colourfully. Two of the things she hated the most were being cold and wet and now, she was _both._She wiped her eyes to identify her attacker and it was none other than her Knight Master, Jonathan Conte. He was dressed for comfort in a tunic and breeches.

"What in Mithros' name is wrong with you!" she yelled. Her voice was shaky with anger, embarrassment, and the cold. "You can wake me up like a normal person you know?"

"I would if I could, _your_ _highness_," he drawled, sitting on the edge of her bed. "But you are a _very_heavy sleeper."

She sat up in her bed, still drenched. "That doesn't justify your actions!" she said angrily. "You could've put me in the tub with nice, warm water. That way, my bed would've been spared _and_ I wouldn't be cold! OR you could've let me sleep! I got drenched in wine last night and _now_ I get drenched in _ice water_! _OR_ you could've brought me some food! Or maybe, you could've just dripped_some_ water on my face! " Alanna continued to shout out possibilities, face red with anger.

He looked at her and bit back a laugh. He actually _hadn't_ been trying to wake up his squire. Jon just felt like pranking her today. _You think that ice water would cool her down, not ignite her temper,_ he thought.

He let her keep talking until she stumbled over her words. "Or... or..."

"Shh," he said softly. "I'm sorry, okay?" Alanna nodded but scowled. "Don't be mad. Besides, you owe me."

_That_ earned him a punch in the arm. "You said that I didn't owe you anything!"

"When did I say that?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Last night!" she reminded him. "When we were dancing and when you came into my room..." she trailed off.

"Why'd you get my wig?" she asked suspiciously. She gasped when her mind formulated a conclusion. "Don't tell me you- you _wore_ it!"

Jon shook his head vigorously. "You wore it!" Alanna pointed her finger at him in accusation. "Jon, don't tell me you're- you're..." she trailed off once more, not wanting to say it. "That explains your knowledge in dresses and in love-life and when you wanted me to make amends with Raoul and –"

Jon interrupted her, guessing what she was thinking. "No," he said firmly. "I am _not_gay, Alanna. I took your wig to _wash_ it not to wear it."

Alanna looked at him with a silly grin on her face. "Whatever you say, _your highness_."

Jon rolled his eyes which made Alanna burst out in laughter. . Alanna's laughter was contagious and he ended up laughing with his wet squire. He just couldn't help it

When they caught their breath, Jon was the first to speak. "Go take a bath." He still had a smile on his face as he said the words but Alanna obeyed, nonetheless.

Alanna planted her feet firmly on the floor and stretched. "Is there hot water?"

He nodded and stood up. "Just for you."

She turned to him. "Where are you going?"

"To my rooms," he said in a 'duh' tone. "Unless you want me to get you food."

"Actually..." she started with a smile on her face.

He stuck his fingers in his ears. "I can't hear you, sorry." He spoke a little louder than necessary. "I'm just going to go and change. I'll wait for you to get dressed before I go down." And with that, he went into his own rooms and shut the door abruptly.

Alanna laughed as she walked into the dressing room to bathe.

* * *

><p>Jon was true to his word and waited in his room for her to finish getting ready. Together, they walked down to the Great Hall to eat breakfast. As they sat at their table, she could hear the last bits of Raoul and Gary's conversation.<p>

"- see her after you left!" Gary said enthusiastically.

Alanna wanted to cover her face when she heard the rest of Gary's story. They had come just in time for Raoul and Gary to discuss the topic of the events last night.

"Ariana probably tripped or something because she fell right into my arms and –" Gary got cut off.

"Is that literal or metaphorical?" Raoul asked suspiciously.

"Literal," he replied quickly, wanting to get back to the story. "and _then_ when she backed up, she bumped into a page carrying wine! And then she started crying!" He clucked his tongue. "Poor girl, really. What was worse was that the whole court just started laughing." He took a bite of food before continuing. " But then, prince charming waltzed in and escorted her to her rooms. Right, Jon?"

All eyes moved to the prince, including Raouls' whose eyes held a bit of contempt.

"Yes, I did," he replied as if it was nothing. "She went straight to sleep." Noticing Raoul's look in his eyes, he added, "If you keep looking at me like that, you'll set me on fire. We didn't do anything."

He scowled and looked away. "I shouldn't've left so early..." he said regretfully. Raoul sighed.

"So what's the plan today?" Although Jon addressed everyone at the table, his eyes were fixed on Alanna and the question seemed to be directed to her.

_What does he want from me?_ She thought.

As if reading her mind, he answered subtly without causing much suspicion in the group. "I'm going to go straighten things out, Raoul," he paused, "Gary, and Alan. I'll be in my room if you need me."

_Oh, right._Alanna thought. She bit her lip. She still had to 'clear the fog'.

"Actually, Alan," Jon's eyes flicked to her, "would you mind coming with me? I never was as good at cleaning as you were."

Alanna smiled a sarcastic smile. "I'd love to," she drawled, getting up from the table. She looked down at her plate and winced when she noticed all the food left on it. _Oh, well,_ she thought. _I never really liked breakfast anyways._

"Do you really need me for anything?" Alanna asked once they were alone. She struggled to keep up with her Knight Master. He had long legs! "Or did you just want me to starve?"

"I actually _do_ need you for something." Jon smiled sheepishly. "I –er –soiled my tunic last night."

Alanna winced. "That is disgusting."

"It's not my fault." He put his nose up in the air. "There was a man who got very drunk and he –for the lack of a better term –puked on my tunic."

"And that man was you?" Alanna chuckled.

"Do I look like I have a hangover?" Jon turned to his small companion.

She studied his face and the way he walked. "No, I guess not."

"See?" He flashed a smile.

"But I don't see how _I_ need to do that job," she said crossly.

"Are we complaining, my squire?" Jon raised an eyebrow at her. Alanna scowled at the term.

"I'm not complaining. I'm merely..." she looked for the word, "for the lack of a better term –reasoning." Alanna smiled and Jon laughed. But soon, Jon felt silent.

"What do you plan on doing?" he asked softly.

"I'll just tell him the next time we meet at Ariana," she said simply. "What else am I supposed to do?"

"The next ball is in a week," he reminded. "You shouldn't let him wait so long."

"Why do you want me to stop it all so quickly?" Alanna put _her_ nose up into the air.

"What? You _like_ wearing dresses and being girly?" he asked, wide-eyed. "I thought that our Alanna was much different than that."

She snorted. "I'm not yours. I'm not anyone's. And I_don't_ like being girly." She blew air out of her nose haughtily.

"Don't tell me that you like Raoul." he said playfully. Alanna scoffed.

"No, of course not!" It was true. She didn't like _anyone_ for that matter and she didn't _want_to.

"Then who_are_ you wearing your dress for?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm not wearing it for anyone!" The volume of her voice rose considerably.

"It's Gary you love, isn't it?" he teased. She looked at him, horrified.

"I don't_love_ any man and I never will, Jonathan of Conte. And you should remember that I can beat you with a sword before you accuse me of such," she swallowed, "ridiculous things." She spat the words out.

He was surprised to see her run off in the direction of her room. _That won't do anything,_he thought. _We're going to meet in my room anyways._

* * *

><p>Alanna burst into her room, startling her cat Faithful. She remembered the Goddess' words from her first year as a squire. They rang in her head as she sat on the bed, face fixed with a scowl that could make the beefiest men cower.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"But you, my daughter - learn to love. You have been given a hard road to walk. Love will ease it. Much depends on you, Alanna of Trebond. Do not fail me!"<em>

_- Tamora Pierce_

* * *

><p><em>If this is your way to ensure that I learn to love, I don't like the plan,<em> she thought angrily. _And besides, I can take care of my fear myself. I'd get around to it eventually._

She didn't expect an answer. The Goddess couldn't be everywhere at once. A few moments passed and she heard a knock on the door connecting the two rooms together. "It's unlocked, you dolt. And even if it weren't, you still have a key."

He opened the door with an apologetic smile on his face. "I'm sorry."

Alanna's frown fell away and was replaced with a look of surprise. Yesterday, he kept saying 'You're Welcome' and now, he keeps saying 'I'm sorry." What's next? 'Thank you' or 'Excuse me'?

"I suppose that maybe-"

"Definitely," she said sharply.

He swallowed and continued "- I was wrong for acting that way."

Alanna smiled up at her best friend. Her temper was short-fused but it also burned out quickly. "Apology accepted."

"Now let's think of a plan." With a grunt, he took her by the hands and pulled her off the bed. "I'm positive that father won't let me take you to the ball for Princess Thalia. I'm to escort the princess and ensure that she is well cared for."

Alanna scowled. "Princess Thalia, huh?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Jealous?"

She made a face and let go of his hands. "Of course not!"

"Of course not." He smiled his most charming smile. "Now we've got to get you taken care of before I need to take care of Thalia." He put an arm around her shoulders but Alanna shrugged his arm off.

"That sounds odd." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"We're going to find you a date," he said plainly. "Now let's go."

* * *

><p>Alanna looked around nervously. Situations like this seemed to be more frequent nowadays and she did not like it. She sat on a bench and took out a book to read, wondering what was taking them so long.<p>

The green dress she wore didn't do too much to keep out cold winter air. It was embroidered with roses right up until the waistline where a sash was tied. The black wig now smelt like Jonathan. He probably used his own soap to wash the thing. She smiled. Maybe good could come from all this afterwards. Alanna fiddled with her amulet from under her scarf as she read the book in her lap. It was entitled: _Tortall through the ages_. She was only finished a few pages when she heard footsteps.

Alanna looked up from her book to see Gareth the Younger of Naxen standing in front of her. _Gary?_she thought angrily. _I swear that we agreed on Raoul!_The thoughts were meant for Jon who was whistling nonchalantly in the distance. He looked like a chaperon and he obviously intended to be one for the time-being.

"Good afternoon, sir Gareth," she said, putting her book away.

"Oh, please. Sir Gareth is my father." Gary smiled. "Call me Gary."

Alanna smiled and offered a hand. "Good afternoon, _Gary."_He gave a chuckle and brought her hand up to his lips for a kiss.

"A wonderful afternoon to you, Miss Ariana, I trust that you slept well." He smiled crookedly.

Alanna scoffed. "I slept no differently than you: with my eyes closed," she retorted. "Unless you snore, well then I bet I slept better than your squire."

Gary had to laugh at that. Her tongue was just as sharp as his! "What book was that?" He sat beside her and crossed his legs, putting an arm around her shoulders.

_Now_ it was really hot. She could feel her cheeks burning up despite the winter chill. "_Tortall through the Ages,_" she answered quietly.

"You really like history, don't you?" Gary asked. She just nodded. "We have the best history teacher ever. He really makes the lesson come to life." She nodded again. She already knew.

"History is wonderful and all but I really long to travel." Saying that she wanted to become a knight and do great deeds all over the world would be a bit _too_ odd for Gary. He only knew one girl who wanted to be a knight and he wasn't even aware that she was in fact a girl at all!

He nodded in understanding. "Don't we all?" he smiled. "Don't you wish that you could just be free from it all? And could just run away from pestering mothers and fathers?"

She looked away. Her mother and father never pestered her. Her mother didn't even get to see her and Thom grow up, in fact. And Lord Alan never really showed care for the twins. If they had caretakers at all as they grew up, it would've been Maude and Coram. Now, they were wonderful but never knowing her mother had made her feel sad and incomplete whenever she thought about it. Really thought about it. What if her mother was a wonderful person? But what if she was a horrible witch? Alanna would never know.

He positioned himself so that he could see her face. "What happened to that beautiful voice of yours?"

"Non-existent," she retorted. She tried her best to erase the thought. Why, of all times, did it pop up now? It hadn't bothered her for more than six years and now, the feeling is back and more annoying than ever.

He shook his head. "A lady like you shouldn't be living in the dark all the time."

Alanna whipped her head around to look him in the eyes. "Maybe I need someone to help me see the light." A smile appeared on her lips.

Gary couldn't help it. He grinned as well. "Then let me escort you to the upcoming ball," he said. "Maybe I could be the one who will help you see the light."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I might have other things to do..." _What a lie!_

She sighed for effect. "Sure, why not?"

"Wonderful," Gary said with a nod. "Where are you staying?"

Alanna shook her head sharply. "I'll meet you at your rooms."

Gary's smile faded away. "That's not proper."

She looked away and thrust her chin stubbornly into the air. "That's my price if you truly want to escort me to the ball in three days."

He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Fine," he said at last, amusement in his voice.

"The sixth bell," she said firmly.

He nodded. "The sixth bell."

She removed his arm gingerly and stood. "Good bye, sir Gary. I look forward to meeting you again. I bid you good afternoon." She turned just to see his reaction. He was grinning like a fool, probably from shock. Gary usually had quite a way with the ladies. She flashed him a smile and walked off, being careful about the way she did so. Mistress Cooper had told her to walk more lady-like, whatever that meant.

* * *

><p>Alanna went into her room and took off the gown. Her heart beat had barely slowed down and it was still quite hot. She sighed in relief. "Now I can focus on more important things," she said to no one in particular as she took off the hose. "Like fencing or archery or wrest-" She stopped mid-sentence. There was a knock on the door.<p>

"What now?" she groaned. The squire dressed quickly in her shirt and breeches and had to tell her visitor to wait twice. Finally, she opened the door.

"What do you want _now,_ Jonathan?" she demanded.

He clucked his tongue. "Is that any way to speak to your Knight Master?"

"What do you want now, _Sir_ Jonathan?" She rolled her eyes.

"You truly are the charmer, aren't you?" he walked into the room and closed the door with his foot. "Gary finds you quite... interesting."

She cocked a brow. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"It means that he's interested in you," he retorted. "What do you think it meant? That he thinks that you give high interest? That's ridiculous."

She laughed at the corny joke and cuffed him in the shoulder.

He sat on the bed. "Well you know that I have the duty of welcoming Princess Thalia and she's fine and all but she also requested that she see you."

Alanna blinked at him. "And why would she want to speak with me?"

Jon shrugged and looked at her bedside table. "Beats me. She also wants to meet Charmaine." He picked up a piece of paper. "I guess that she's just.. friendly." He looked around the room, lingering at a painting of his mother and father together and continuing.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, looking around.

"Oh, nothing." He flashed her a smile. "Someone wrote poetry for you."

Her eyes widened. "What?

"It's from Raoul. He told me to deliver it to you." He looked at the paper in his hands. "You should really look at your desk first before putting on your shirt backwards."

"Now what does that-!" She was wearing her shirt backwards! She gingerly slipped the paper out of his hands. "Thank you so much for the advice now don't you think that you should bathe?"

Jon shook his head and grinned. "I just took a bath." He smelled himself. "Why? Do I smell?"

Alanna laughed. "No, you smell like you always do."

"So you know what I smell like," he said smugly.

"If you're implying anything, I'm going to drag you out of my room," she threatened. "Now out, just for a few minutes. I need to fix my shirt."

He put his arms up in surrender. "Fine. I'm leaving. And here," he covered his eyes. "I'm even closing my eyes."

Jon stood up blindly and stumbled toward the door. He missed the knob several times before getting it right and walking into his room. Alanna shook her head at his ridiculousness and fixed her shirt. _I'll read the poetry later..._ She thought. She didn't want to read the poetry at all. It was too much to digest in just a matter of days.

* * *

><p>"So, Ariana, who was your first kiss?" Thalia asked, popping a chocolate into her mouth.<p>

"What?" Alanna asked. Her ears must've been deceiving her.

"Who was your first kiss?" she repeated. No, Alanna heard right. _I never should've agreed to this,_she thought. _I never should've went out and worn a dress._

Thalia had invited her to tea to exchange secrets, eat, 'bond', and basically socialize. It was just a good thing that Alanna wasn't the only one attending. She was with Charmaine, the girl she had met at the ball.

_Should I tell them the truth or should I make it up?_ she thought. She decided to make it up. Telling them that The King of Thieves was her first kiss would probably make them wonder exactly where she came from. She could still remember that night...

_He looked around, checked to see if anyone was coming, then suddenly tilted her face up with one hand. "Alanna," he whispered. "I'm takin' advantage of you now because I may never catch you with your hands full again." He kissed Alanna softly, carefully. Alanna trembled, too shocked to do anything but let it happen._

_"There." George released her. "Think over what I said about love."_

_"Pigs might fly," she snapped, her voice shaking. "I should have stabbed you!"_

_He chuckled infuriatingly. "No. I won't let you stab me and ruin our friendship. Will you be afraid to face me again after this?"_

_Alanna felt herself turning beet red. This was too much! "I'm afraid of no one, George Cooper," she yelled. "Especially not you!"_

_"Until next time, then." He saluted her and headed back down to the city, whistling._

_- Tamora Pierce's In the Hand of the Goddess_

She shook it from her thoughts. "Just a boy from Irontown," she said timidly, remembering Jon's advice. _Keep it plan and simple. Anything flashy would raise suspicions._

"How about you, Charms?" Thalia turned to the blonde.

The blue-eyed girl flicked her head to the princess, a cookie in her mouth. She chewed hastily and swallowed. She shook her head slowly. "I've never been kissed before."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Never?

"Never," Charmaine repeated.

The Gallan tilted her head to one side. "Well, you're pretty enough... It must be the men. Blind -All of them!"

She blushed. "You're too kind."

Thalia laughed airily. "No._You're_ too modest."

Their conversation continued as Alanna kept to herself, uncharacteristically silent. This was definitely _not_ her kind of crowd. She looked around, feeling very out of place. They sat in the shade of a large oak tree by Charmaine's house. Well, technically it was still her parents' house but Charmaine was linked to her parents, therefore she got part of the ownership. A garden lay on the border of the lawn, filled with orchids, roses, chrysanthemums, and tulips which were on the edge of their life-span. The house was beautiful, magnificent even. Vines wrapped around the brick exterior, giving it a natural, wild feel; as if they were in the middle of a forest.

"How about you, Ariana?" It was Thalia. But Alanna didn't react. The name did not ring an alarm bell in her mind as her boy name had. And besides that fact, she was studying her surroundings, thoroughly engrossed with the beauty of all of it. "Ariana?" she repeated.

Charmaine cleared her throat and nudged her. "Iana..." she whispered, impatiently. Alanna jerked.

"I beg my pardon," she said quickly, startled.

"I was asking if you would like to try out some hair cream." She flashed a smile.

Alanna raised a brow. "What did you say? Hair cream?" It was totally alien to her ears. Hair cream? Was that cream that was squeezed out of your hair? If it was, Alanna was in no way interested to be incorporated with it, whether it was creamy or not.

"Yes." Charm nodded. "Lia says that it'll make your hair look more shiny and soft." She smoothed out her golden locks vainly.

Alanna shrugged. "I'll give it a try."

Thalia clapped her hands in a preppy manner. "Oh, good," she exclaimed gleefully. She reached down into her bag and produced two small flasks tinted green at the bottom and gradually became pink.

Alanna accepted it reluctantly, skeptical about the thick liquid within. What if this was just some Gallan scheme to overthrow Tortall king and sit one of their own kind up on the throne. When she tested it silently with her magic though, she found that it had no secrets. It was merely a potion-like mix of foreign herbs. "Thank you," she said with a smile to the Princess.

"Oh, no problem. Just as long as you tell your friends." She put her bag down and sighed. "My father sent me here to do some business in Tortall. He says that if I can't sell this Hair Cream to the people, then he'll take away my personal alchemist. He just has to turn everything into a money-making scheme." She frowned, distorting her features.

Alanna shook her head. "Fathers."

"Right!" Thalia said a bit too loudly. "I say that I want to go into Shang and he turns me down! I say I want to go travel the world and go to Tortall and he turns me down! _Now,_ I'm here but I have an _assignment!"_

She looked down abruptly. "My apologies..." she whispered. "That was uncalled for."

Alanna was taken aback by her words. "Did you say Shang?" The princess nodded.

She smiled. Her and Thalia might _just_ get along.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Alanna sat on her bed, Raoul's poetry in her hands. She took a deep breath and unfolded the paper. The writing was quite neat which was odd since she knew Raoul's writing was a bit ungraceful.<p>

_**Maybe we may be**_

_I look into your eyes and I see a soul as vast as the ocean_

_I take your hand and feel a unique emotion_

_One that__not even the best can explain_

_An emotion that drives every being insane_

_From the moment we met, you were one-of-a-kind_

_Intriguing, mysterious-You stuck in my mind_

_And even after days, I did not, could not forget_

_how you flipped me the very first time that we met_

_But I am too shy, and you are too beautiful_

_So I accept that I may be unsuitable_

_If you return my affections, please would you tell me_

_For if not, I'll make sure to make you see_

_that I will give you my heart and all that's attached_

_and I wait till you see that we may be matched_

_But until then I'll just admire you from far away_

_and maybe you'll notice me_

_Somehow, someday._

_Warmest regards,_

_Raoul of Goldenlake_

Alanna blushed fiercely. Those words were quite meaningful. But she was still skeptical about the writing. She dismissed the feeling of unsureness and kept the poem in her chest with her new collection of dresses. At least he already knew that they may never be. Although Raoul was no longer a problem, new fog had moved into the clearing. Gary? Find _her_ interesting? And why does Raoul's writing look so odd? Did he get someone to write it for him? It was just too much.

_I'll just ask Jon about it. He should know what to do._These were her last thoughts before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>He sat by his work desk, tapping the table impatiently. Why couldn't he think properly! Maybe it was because he was forging a poem... No, that couldn't be the reason. It must've been because he hadn't eaten dinner yet. A frown marred his features in frustration. <em>I will not eat until this is finished,<em>he told himself.

Jonathan of Conte was writing a poem. But this poem was not to be signed with his name but by Raoul of Goldenlake. If the poem said that he _knew_ that he and 'Ariana' would never work, then maybe Alanna would let it all pass. He sighed. _I never knew that I'd get so much competition…_

* * *

><p><strong>(AN) Hi again! This was supposed to be posted a few days ago**_**but**_**I didn't want to leave you hanging with the poem. Haha. It's not exactly my best poem but it'll have to do. Besides, Jon doesn't write good poetry so that should be fine. Lol.**

**Please review! I absolutely LOVE reviews! They make me feel so happy ^_^ Also, if you like my writing, check out my profile. I particularly like 'River of Dreams' ignore the corny title. I have big hopes for this story. But if you don't want to look at my profile, that's fine. Lol. I'm not forcing you. o.O**

**Happy belated Valentine's Day! May you live a wonderful life!**

**Warmest Regards,**

**Nell**


	4. Discoveries

The copper-haired squire looked at the solid lake, feeling a bit queasy. She wrapped her arms around herself, for comfort more than warmth. The wind howled, only adding to her nervousness. The 'incident' where she fell into that icy water was still fresh in her mind.

"Come on, Alan. The ice is fine!" That was Jon. He was beckoning for her to get on the lake.

She shook her head sharply. "No!" she shouted at him from the bench. "I can't believe you even got me to come _near_ this rink," she muttered bitterly.

She glanced around. The branches on the trees were bare of leaves, as The Goddess had intended it to be at this time of the year. A fresh blanket of snow lay on the frozen earth and another layer was still coming. It was amazing that in only a matter of days, the autumn colors had faded to give way to the winter wonderland.

She turned her attention back at the rink.

Gary wore a wool grey cloak with black trim fastened with an emerald jewel. His fingers were covered with fleece gloves in a striped pattern of bright turquoise and sky blue. The chestnut hair on his head was topped with a bonnet in the same shade.

Raoul, on the other hand, wore a cloak in the vivid shade of red with cream trim. It was fastened with a brooch in the shape of a snowflake. He had neither hat nor gloves but he didn't seem to be cold.

Alanna tilted her head to look at the big Knight. She was forgetting something… something that involved Raoul. Not knowing what it was made her feel odd and she didn't like it. Instead of thinking of it, she dismissed it to think of other things, turning her attention back to the Prince.

"Come on, you'll be fine." Jon jumped, twirled and landed gracefully. "See? If I can land that, then you can at _least_ come out here and skate."

Alanna frowned and glowered at the Prince. He looked charming as always, bright blue eyes stark against his face that went rosy from the cold. He wore a blue fleece jacket with a hood to keep his ears warm. His hands were covered with wool in the same hue.

"No," she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.

He rolled his eyes. "Gary!" he called. "Get Alan onto the ice."

The big brown-haired youth shook his head sharply, careless smile lighting up his face as he skated backwards. "I don't want to see his temper burn up."

Alanna smiled triumphantly, nose up in the winter air. "You can't make me skate."

"Excuse me!"

The squire's head jerked in the direction of the high-pitched voice. She recognized it clearly. It could be none other than a certain blonde.

"Prince Jonathan!" Charmaine exclaimed, a blush spreading across her face. "My apologies, your Highness." She stumbled through a curtsey and walked closer to the ice.

"Oh, it's fine, Charmaine." He smiled charmingly. "It's actually a pleasure meeting you here."

_Great,_ Alanna thought. _In just a moment, she'll start giggling._

Her face got even redder and, as Alanna predicted, she started giggling. It took her a while to start speaking again. "I was looking for Ariana. Do you happen to know where she's staying at the moment?"

Jon gave Alanna a sideward glance. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid that she keeps her residence confidential."

Charm pouted. "Oh, okay. But you'll tell me when you see her, right?" Jon nodded. "Thank you, Your Highness. Good day." She curtseyed once more with better balance and trotted off, a skip in her step. Her heart was probably still pounding from an encounter with the Prince.

All of a sudden, she stopped in her tracks and started to fall as if her legs couldn't work. The convent girl gasped, trying to catch her breath to find that she couldn't.

"Jon!" Alanna yelled, getting to her feet. "Get Duke Baird!" She ran to her friend, worry marring her face.

But as she ran, no one moved. They were too shocked. The girl had been fine just a moment before. The squire sat down by her side but she looked around to see no one following. "_**Now**_ would be a great time, thank you!" she barked.

They all took off their skates hastily. Gary went off to fetch Duke Baird, Raoul trailing close behind. Jon went to check if Charmaine could breathe properly. His long legs brought him to the two girls in less than a minute.

"She can't breathe," he said plainly, ear to her mouth so he could listen to her airways.

"You don't say!" Alanna said drily. "What in the _world_ should we do now!"

"Sarcasm won't help," Jon said seriously. He pumped her chest with his hands, a few grunts escaping his mouth to form clouds in the winter air. Then he placed his lips to hers…

Alanna looked away. "Kissing her won't help either," she retorted.

"I'm _not_." He took a deep breath and resumed. The next time he came up for air, he said, "I'm blowing air into her lungs."

The purple-eyed squire turned red and looked down. "Right… I knew that."

He pulled back and pumped her chest again. Jon chuckled. "Right..."

"Prince Jonathan!" The Duke had arrived, the two knights trailing behind him. "What's the matter with the convent girl?"

Alanna stood and bowed. "Your Grace, she just fell in the snow," she explained. "Charm was fine a while ago. She even had a skip in her step."

Duke Baird cocked a brow. "Charm?"

She turned rigid and swallowed. _Goddess help me, I slipped!_

"It's a bit of a nickname," Alanna scoffed. "How'd you get here so fast?"

"I was speaking with Duke Roger over there." He cocked his head to indicate the direction. "Didn't take too long to run over here. "Duke Baird shook his head to dismiss the ongoing confusion from the odd behavior between squire and convent girl and went straight ahead to Charmaine, pushing Jonathan aside gently. The prince stood and watched, hoping that he had done _something_ to help.

Alanna let out a relieved sigh. _Thank you, Great Mother._

He listened for a pulse and then for breath. "She can't breathe," he said plainly.

"We know that!" cried Alanna. "Now do something to make air flow through her again!"

"Calm down, lad," the Duke said in an even voice. The squire stepped back and crossed her arms, trying to keep her mouth from bursting with ugly words.

Duke Baird put one hand on her neck and the other on her chest. Green healing fire flooded out from his hands and made its way into her body. All of a sudden, she gasped for breath and sat up, nearly bumping foreheads with the Healer. "What," she gasped. "What was that?"

Baird shivered but it obviously wasn't from the cold. "I don't know."

Alanna's eyes roved from Jon to Charmaine and then to the Chief Healer. "Was she just choking?"

He shook his head. "If she was, then on what?"

She shrugged. "Maybe snow? Or a bug of some sort."

"Bugs at this time of the year?" Jon stepped into the conversation. "I doubt it."

Her eyes flicked up to Jon's. "What do _you _suppose it was then? Magic?"

"What happened?"

All heads turned to the source of the new voice.

Duke Roger of Conte raised his hands in mock surrender. He wore a dashing ocean blue cloak with gold trim, fastened with a black opal. "Whoa? What's got everyone so jumpy?"

"We believe that Charmaine was choking," Alanna told him, eyes hard.

"No, Alan, _you_ believe she was choking," Jon said.

Charm's eyes fluttered. "I'm feeling dizzy," she said hazily. "And sleepy… and… and…" she collapsed back on the snow but she could still breathe and her heart rate was normal so it didn't alarm them. It did, however, alarm them that there was no reason for these odd attacks.

"We've got to keep her under close observation," Duke Baird told them. "Alan, since you're such close friends with her, then certainly you won't mind if you're the one to watch over her."

"My Knight Master would be the one to decide what I do with my time, Your Grace," she said softly. The squire looked at the Prince.

He nodded. "Go ahead. There's nothing better to do anyhow."

"Thank you, Jon." She looked at Roger suspiciously. What a coincidence that he was close by at the same time Charm started choking and when she suddenly fainted.

"Not a problem, Alan. Come on; let's get Charmaine out of the snow." Jon scooped her up in his arms. Alanna followed closely, purple eyes never leaving Duke Roger. But something that no one else noticed was that he was glowering at her as well.

* * *

><p>Jon and Alanna carried the shivering and terrified young lady up to the infirmary where she got her own bed, fresh, warm sheets and even a basket of fruit. But only squire and the three knights were her visitors. Duke Baird had other patients that day.<p>

Gary and Raoul made their excuses, saying that they had guard duty. But Alanna could tell that they simply didn't want to join her because they hardly knew Charm. To her relief, they didn't even ask how 'Alan' became friends with a _girl._ They saw him as a hopeless romantic and it was odd that he had a nickname for her.

"Alanna," the dark-haired knight started when they were alone. "I can't stay here with you. I need to speak with my father about… _King business."_ He scoffed the last part out.

She nodded in understanding from the chair by the wall. "Of course."

He started for the door but stopped mid-way. "Charmaine was looking for you. Chances are that when she wakes up, you'll be the first one she'll send for. Get your wig." And with that, he walked through the hospital door.

Alanna sighed into her seat, temporarily forgetting about her 'smiling friend'. "Maybe I should drop this whole Ariana act…" she said to herself, reassured by the fact that anyone in the room next to them were either blacked out or asleep. "Say that I died or had to move away. It'd certainly make our lives easier…"

Charm's eyes opened lazily. "Ariana?" she croaked. "Are you there?"

Alanna hopped to her feet, startled. "No, she's not here," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "Go back to sleep."

She yawned. "Okay." The girl turned on her side and fell back asleep.

Alanna smiled and shook her head. "I guess I can't kill Ariana yet," she sighed. "I'll be right back."

* * *

><p>'Ariana' came back in clear glass slippers and a leaf green dress with pink trim and a light ivy pattern from the bottom to the waistline. She couldn't do much with her wig. It was already curled from the last time she wore it.<p>

When she stepped into Charm's room, she was already awake and she didn't look any better than earlier. But then again, she wasn't looking any worse.

"Ariana!" she exclaimed, trying to sit up. "What a beautiful dress! I thought your fief was broke! Where'd you get the money to buy it?"

She blushed and swung it from side to side so the dress flared up ever so slightly. "It was a gift."

The blonde gasped. "From who? Prince Jonathan?" She gasped again. "Is he courting you?"

Alanna swatted at her face and covered her cheeks. "No! Of course not!"

"Oh, my goodness!" She sat up. "You're going to be a princess!"

"No, I won't, Charm. Now lay back down. We don't know what's wrong with you yet." She pushed her back down but Charm just shot back up.

"Wrong with me? There's nothing wrong with me!" she retorted.

Alanna cocked an eyebrow. "You don't remember?"

She blinked at her friend. "Remember what?"

"You… you fell asleep in the middle of the snow," she said cautiously. How couldn't she remember!

"That never happened, Ariana. But I _do_ remember speaking with Prince Jonathan!" She squealed. "He's so handsome!"

"Why can't you remember?" Alanna questioned under her breath.

"Because it never happened. I ran into a patch of some poison ivy and then Squire Alan brought me up here. I was conscious for the whole thing, Ariana. I should know!" She cocked an eyebrow. "How would you know anyways? You were nowhere near us."

_That's not right,_ she thought. Charm had asked what had happened right when she was able to breathe again, meaning that she herself had no idea what was going on. Now, she magically had the knowledge?

But seeing that arguing about it wouldn't do any good, she let it go and settled for taking note of it mentally. "I'm friends with Jon," she reminded her.

"More than just friends I bet," she winked.

"Oh, Charm, stop it!" Alanna swatted at her and Charm rolled her eyes.

Charm swung herself over the bed, so quick that it was alarming. She put her hand to her temple. "Ooh… a little dizzy," she said, blinking too rapidly for comfort. "Anyways, Thalia wanted to tell you about the hair cream." Her eyes fluttered. "That… that…"Her pupils disappeared and she collapsed on the bed.

"Charm!" Alanna shrieked uncharacteristically. She rushed to her side, holding her hand. "Duke Baird!" Her eyes never left Charm's oddly pale face.

The healer ran into the room. "What's wrong?" He rushed to her side and checked her vital signs. He put two fingers to her neck. "Her heart beat's fine…"-he leaned in close to listen to her breathing-, "and so is her breathing." He stood up straight. "I'm afraid I don't know what's wrong with her…"

"Well, do something!" she yelped.

"Lady Ariana," the Duke said gently. "She should be fine. She has simply fainted or fallen asleep. You needn't worry."

"Alright," she snapped. "I'll just wait for you to find out what's wrong with her. Oh, that's right! You can't!" And with that, she stormed out of the room. But she wasn't just going to sulk around. No, she was going to consult with one of the best wizards in Tortall.

* * *

><p>"Thom," Alanna whispered once the magical link was connected. She ran her fingers through her clipped, red hair anxiously. She'd taken her dress and her wig off earlier so as to not raise suspicions with her brother.<p>

The picture of her brother was starting to farm, albeit hazily. He had the orange robe of an expert since the Mithran priests discovered that he was holding back. He was reading a scorched book, crouched over it nonetheless. It was probably a magical book of secrets of some sort for Thom to be so interested.

"Thom!" she yelled to get his attention.

He turned to face the fire and gasped. "Sister! What in Mithros' name happened to your eyes! It's as if you've dyed them," He straightened his back, a bit shocked by the sudden contact.

She swatted at her room's fireplace as if she could touch him. She noticed that her brother wore his hair clipped short and he'd grown facial hair. She let go of the spell she held to keep her eyes blue and cursed herself for being so careless. "Never mind that. I've got a problem."

Thom cocked a coppery eyebrow. "Is it about your smiling friend?"

Alanna looked from one side to the other as if paranoid. She nodded. "But we can't speak too loud someone might be listening."

Thom pointed at the fire, sending purple mist through it to engulf the room. "There. Now no one can hear us. Not even Roger."

She smirked. How could it have slipped her mind that Thom could send his gift through such distances? "Anyways, I've a friend and she's sick. We don't know what's wrong with her. She's been having fainting spells, she fell in the snow and couldn't breathe, and now she's lost some of her memory."

Thom tugged at his new beard thoughtfully. "I don't know of any _natural_ illness that produces those symptoms but I _do_ have a hunch. The saliva of a Tauros has been known to cause them. But I'm positive that Tauroses no longer dwell in our realms… Interesting."

He stood up. "I'll be right back. I need to research this." And he left the room, robes flying behind him.

Alanna sighed. "Going to the Library, no doubt."

But she didn't have to wait long. He was back in a matter of moments. "There's the juice from a tommelbur tree. It would also explain her difficulty in breathing. Not to mention that it's deadly in most cases." He fell into a nearby chair and crossed his legs.

She nodded, determined to help her friend. "And the antidote?"

"Like the plant, it's only found in Carthak," he said scornfully. "D'you know anyone who might've been to Carthak in the past six years?"

Alanna stared at blank space, thinking. "Well, Roger went there four years ago… but he couldn't possibly have the antidote still. Especially if he's the one who poisoned her. People usually poison to kill, you know?"

"Ahh, but if his aim wasn't to kill?" he supposed. "Maybe, your friend is just bait so he can reel in the big fishes."

"And who would be the fish?" she inquired.

"Well that really depends. Who did she go to right before the first attack?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Jon!" she exclaimed. "But how would Roger know that Jon even _knew _Charmaine?"

"Well, who knows? Maybe he's trying out different bait to attract the right fish? Night crawlers work really well with bass while it doesn't work well with Carp," he suggested. "Or he could be targeting you."

Alanna snorted. "Roger doesn't even know Charm and I are friends. I'm only with her when I'm Ariana." She covered her mouth abruptly, gritting her teeth. Why did her tongue wag so!

Thom's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Ariana?" he asked, more amused than angry. "Sister, dearest! You've been keeping secrets from me."

She sighed. "Do you want to know the _whole_ story?"

Her brother smiled crookedly. "It's as if you don't know me."

Alanna rolled her eyes. "It all started when I ran into Raoul wearing a dress…" she began. Thom remained silent for most of her story, with only a gasp, a snort, or a chuckle. When she finished, Thom whistled as if what she had told him was impressive.

"You've gotten yourself into quite a mess, haven't you," he said, amusement in his voice. "Well, I could always help you with that. I'll wear a dress and fake your death. No one would even know that Ariana existed."

She laughed. "How I wish that it was that simple! I've got friends as Ariana. I can't just abandon them."

"Yes, you can, Alanna," he snorted. "You just _won't._ There's a significant difference."

"Anyways," she said, completely ready to change the subject. "About the antidote?"

"Right. Well if Roger doesn't plan on killing her, then he should have the antidote ready and he _should_ visit her within a week." He leaned back. "If you need any help, you can always call me."

"I dug myself into this hole, I can dig myself out, thank you very much," she retorted.

"Of, course," he drawled. "Good bye, sister. Take care of yourself. Love you." And with a snap of his fingers, the magical link ended.

* * *

><p>When 'Ariana' returned to the room, she saw Roger at Charmaine's side. She was awake and he was feeding her some soup. The dark-haired girl was thankful that she was unnoticed by the two for she could now stare at them all she wanted and they wouldn't care. She narrowed her eyes at the pair but her feelings of animosity leaned more towards Roger.<p>

"Duke Roger," Alanna said, trying to act shocked. Both heads turned as Alanna stumbled through a curtsey. _Damn it, _she scolded herself silently. _I need to work more on that… _She ventured into the room until she was beside her friend's bed.

"Ariana! Roger has been the best caretaker since I choked on that Opal earlier," Charm said enthusiastically. The story changed again! Where was she getting them from?

Roger smiled his most charming smile, rose and held out a hand as if he was asking for something. He stood there for a moment until Alanna remembered that it was custom for men to kiss a lady's hand upon meeting.

She offered her hand and he took it in his larger one. "Lovely meeting you, Lady Ariana," he said before bringing it to his lips to place a soft kiss on it. A shiver ran through her spine. This was her enemy!

She gritted her teeth to keep from automatically pulling back. "Wonderful meeting you as well, Duke Roger. It's awful that we're meeting under these circumstances." The mage nodded and let go of her hand.

"Awful," he agreed, a sullen look on his face. "But I've good news. I know what is wrong with your friend here. She is suffering from Auxury poisoning. It's a type of tree in Maren. Thank the Gods that I've got the antidote."

She linked her hands together to keep from slapping him across the face. That wasn't the right tree! But of course, no one would suspect _him,_ the King's nephew, of lying.

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed, a fake smile plastered to her face. "So she'll recover?" He nodded. "Oh, thank you, Your Grace. I could kiss you!"

"Iana!" Charm scolded. "Roger's mine! You already have Prince Jonathan!"

Alanna pursed her lips. "Shut up, Charm! I do not!"

"Fine. But that doesn't mean you can steal him from me," she retorted, nose in the air.

The duke hid a chuckle behind his hand. "Ladies, please. I'm neither Charm's nor Ariana's."

"Not yet, you mean," Charm said, mischievous smile creeping onto her lips.

"But I guess one may dream," Roger said, flashing a smile.

All of a sudden, the blonde started to cough. But it wasn't just the cough that was her problem. It was what was coming out of her mouth. She was sputtering up something blackish-red, at the same time ruining the soup in front of her. "What is that?" she asked before coughing up more of it.

"Duke Baird!" Roger called gruffly. "Something's wrong with Charm!"

The healer rushed back into the room, face marred with an expression of horror. "Out, both of you," he barked.

Alanna stepped backwards slowly, fighting the urge to shoot some of her own healing magic into her. But Ariana had to be as far away from Alan as possible.

"Now," he urged. "We need to sterilize this room."

She looked at Roger. He was looking at all the _stuff_ coming out of her mouth. But his expression wasn't that of horror or even worry. It was indifferent. "Lady Ariana, we should leave. Before she gets any worse."

Alanna nodded numbly. "Right."

* * *

><p>Lunch passed and she decided to eat by herself. Alanna wanted to contemplate the events of the morning. Maybe Roger would give her the antidote. She prayed to the Goddess that she would be alright.<p>

After she finished eating, she donned on a shirt and breeches in the shade of muted brown in her room and shoes made for comfort, not for fashion. "Faithful," she called. "Want to come?"

_No,_ he meowed, settling at his spot on the bed. _It's all the same every time. You beat everyone except for Alex. _

"Suit yourself." She put Lightning at its place around her waist. Now was not a time to mope about how Roger wasn't going to let Charm off easily. Hours wasted to sulk are the equivalent to time that _should_ be used in the practice courts.

The squire made her way through the halls and down to the indoor practice courts. When she got there, she saw Jon, Gary, Raoul, and Alex in the same attire as her. At the moment, Alex and Gary were dueling and by the looks of Gary's labored breathing, Alex was winning.

"Hello," she said casually as she stretched.

"Hey Alan," Raoul called back, drinking from a water skin. "I didn't see you at the noon meal."

"I was… thinking," she explained.

"How's Charmaine doing?" Jon asked, leaning back in his seat on a bench.

"She's coughing up blood," she croaked. "And Duke Baird hasn't a clue what illness she has."

"Well, Charmaine'll get better," Alex said, fending off a butterfly sweep from Gary without much effort. "I'm sure of it." Gary lunged again, sweat running down his face and threatening to sting his hazel eyes.

Alanna went over to Raoul and held out a hand. "Can I have a swig?"

He looked at her as if she'd grown two heads and shook his head sharply. "Yeah, sure," he said, handing her the water skin. She gave him a sideward glance as she gulped down the cold water. What was wrong with him? She returned the container to him.

"Are you acquainted with lady Ariana yet?" he asked, setting the container on the bench once more.

She wiped her mouth and shook her head. "Can't say I am. Why?"

"It's eerie." His eyes narrowed at her. "You two look so much alike!"

Alanna shrugged, trying her best to look calm. "There used to be these two girls in Trebond and they looked like sisters which was impossible because they were the same age and their parents were four separate people."

He grumbled thoughtfully but shrugged it off. "Maybe it's like that then."

"Good fight, Tirragen," Gary said, sweat dripping off his face. He put his sword back into his sheath and wiped the perspiration off his face with the bottom of his shirt. "But I say that you won only because I was tired."

Alex laughed. "Think what you want to think, Naxen. But I won fair and square. I always do."

"Alright," Jon yelled to get their attention. "Alex, we all agree that you won. Now, Alan and I are going to fence."

"Go ahead." Gary walked over to the bench. "I repeat: I'm too _tired_ to fight anymore."

The dark knight chuckled and joined his friends. "Of course you are, Gary. Of course you are."

Jon cocked his head, inviting 'Alan' onto the field. "Ready, Squire?"

"I'm always ready, _Knight Master_," she said mockingly as she made her way to the middle. They bowed, crossed swords and at Jon's 'go', they started.

Alanna feinted and attacked his right arm, and Jonathan brought his sword up to block it. They circled each other, neither of them really taking it seriously. But she looked for openings and kept watch of his abdomen which would give away any of his attacks. Alanna scuttled to the side and Jon lunged forward to stab nothing but air.

Their match continued, neither of them speaking. Only the sound of their blades rang throughout the practice courts as they danced together, the pair dodging and attacking as fluidly as water and as fast as lightning. It was art to any onlookers. The deciding skill was Alanna's speed, however, when Jon took his leisurely time to block her sword.

"Good match," he said, breathing labored.

"Good match," she repeated, grin on her face. They bowed once more and sat back down to drink water. Then she remembered what she had wanted to ask about Raoul. She scooted to whisper in his ear, ignoring that they were both drenched in sweat. "Hey, Jon. About that lov-"

Roger was in the doorway, clapping enthusiastically. "That was absolutely brilliant, Jon. And you too, Alan," he said in the same manner. "But I don't suppose that you've seen Ariana, have you? Charmaine's calling for her. Duke Baird believes that she might have… the Black Plague."

Alanna looked at Jon, face grave. He nodded in silent permission and she stood up to leave. "My apologies, but I have to go." She bowed. "Good bye, Duke Roger. Alex, Jon, Gary, Raoul." Her eyes moved to the people she named. The Squire bolted out the door and her speed didn't decrease when she passed the duke.

* * *

><p>She wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt, not daring to lift the hem up despite the lack of people. Charm looked terrible. Her face was the whitest white and her eyes were sunken. Her blonde hair was a mess from staying in bed all day. But a smile lit up her features, still bubbly as always. "Hello," she croaked.<p>

"Charm!" Alanna yelped, scurrying to her bedside. "How are you feeling?"

"I've got a cough, a fever, and fainting spells. It was just because of a sword cut that went unattended. But I'm sure that I'll be fine." She was sweating profusely but she shivered under the white sheets.

_A sword cut?_ Alanna thought. _Where does she keep getting these ridiculous stories? She can't even lift a sword!_

"I don't mean to sound rude but… who are you?" Charm asked abruptly.

Alanna blinked at her. "I'm Ariana, of course. Don't you remember me?" And then she realized her mistake. She still wore Alan's clothes. "I meant Alan. Alan. I'm Alan."

She cocked an eyebrow. "What d'you mean you're Ariana? You're a boy!" She squinted at her.

"I said that I'm Alan," she repeated, getting nervous.

Charm's eyes widened. "Ariana!" she squeaked. "I never forget a face. But… I don't understand." She closed her eyes tight. "I think I've a headache."

Alanna sighed, exasperated. She rubbed her face with her hand. "I guess that the hare's out of the bag, huh?"

She nodded. "Would you please explain? Why are you wearing men's clothes? And what did you do with your hair?" Charm gasped. "And your _eyes!"_

The purple-eyed squire said a word in an alien language and the room was immersed with purple fire as Charm marveled at the sight. _There, now we won't be heard,_ she thought, relieved.

She drew a breath. "Where do you want me to start?"

"The very beginning, please," she said, shifting to get comfortable.

"It all started when my twin brother and me decided to switch places…" she began.

Charm gasped at the first line and hung onto every word that came out of her friend's mouth. Alanna summarized her fight with Ralon, trouble with becoming a lady, the fight with the Ysandir and how Jon learned her secret, the war, how she became adventurous one night and wore a dress, and finally where she was at that moment. She did, however, leave out that part with George. It wouldn't do good letting people know that she was friends with the Rogue.

"That's a wonderful thing you did, Alanna," Charm said, pure awe shining in her eyes. "I'd never be able to do that. I admit that I don't like being lied to though." She looked down, suddenly sullen.

"If I told you right from the start that I was actually masquerading as a boy, would you be this understanding?" she reasoned.

Charm shrugged. "I don't know. And I guess we'll never know."

"Are we still friends?" she asked, feeling guilty.

The sickly girl beamed like her old self. "Of course. Nothing will change that."

A knock came on the door and both eyes flicked to the doorway. "Remember, never let my name slip. Else wise, I'll have to get my brother to erase your memory," Alanna said. Charm nodded sharply and the copper-haired girl said another word to make the purple disappear.

"Come in!" Charm said to whoever was at the door.

"Hullo," Duke Roger said casually. "I'm afraid I haven't seen Ariana. But I'm sure she'll come by to visit any moment."

Charm nodded. "I understand. People have better things than to kneel at someone's death bed." She didn't even give a coy glance at Alanna. _Wow, _she thought. _She's a really good actress._

"Now, now. Charmaine. Don't think like that. We all want you to get better," Roger said, pity in his voice.

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with Squire Alan in private for a moment."

He nodded. "Of course, my Lady." He walked out of the room, the slightest hint of confusion on his face.

Alanna let out a breath and the violet fire was back, guarding their voices from eavesdropping ears.

"Thank you, Charm. You're a wonderful actress," Alanna gushed.

Charmaine blushed, adding only a bit of color to her face. "Thanks. I always wanted to be an actress in a play but mother said that acting wouldn't get me anywhere."

"Do rest," she advised. "We all _really_ want you to get better. You'll have my prayers."

She reached out to touch Alanna's hand with her icy one. "Thank you, Alanna. Good luck with all your endeavors. And by the way, Thalia wanted us to come to her rooms in the castle. When we tell people about it, she wants it to be called Shampoo."

"Shampoo?" Alanna repeated curiously.

Charm shrugged. "She said that it was her alchemist's wife's name."

The squire nodded in understanding. "Okay. Thank you."

"Now go out and tell Duke Roger that I fell asleep in mid-sentence. I'll see you tomorrow." She grinned.

"Good bye," Alanna said before muttering the reverse spell. She trotted to the closed door. She had one last glance at the sick girl and found that she was sleeping –or at least acting as if she was asleep. She opened the door gently, walked through, and closed it with the same care.

"She fell asleep midsentence," she whispered to him.

"Okay," he said, turning to leave.

* * *

><p>Roger sat on his chair, twirling his wizard rod in between his long fingers. He was thinking very hard. <em>So Charm wasn't close to Jon after all. A pity that I had to waste the tommelbur fruit on her soup. But she's certainly close to Squire Alan. And Squire Alan is close to Jon…<em>

He sat bolt upright._ That's it! I'm brilliant! It's like a chain reaction! And the best thing is that it'll all seem natural when Alan gets sick! He's visited her dozens of times, I bet. _

He lounged back in his chair and crossed his legs. _Yes, it's all perfect. The only thing I need to worry about is how I'll sneak the juice into Alan's system…_

* * *

><p><strong>(AN) Hi! It's FINALLY UP! Yay! And it's my longest chapter ever! ****Let's dance! No, i'm just joking. xD**

**You guys thought that I forgot about Thom and Roger, didn't you? Haha. No, it's not all going to be roses and hearts and dreamy eyes. Roger will be here to screw things up until I tell him to leave. And Thom is here because (duh) he's Alanna's brother. How could I forget about him?**

**Anyways, I got the whole illness idea from House because my sister is watching it all from the very beginning and I must admit that it's distracting because the computer is right behind where she's watching and I can see and hear it perfectly.**

**On an out of topic note, we're finished our culminating activity! I was in Theatre Arts (club)! I was Penny for the first show and then a regular chicken for the second and the third. Oh, well. There's always next year, I guess. :)**

**Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review, I love it when you guys tell me your thoughts! Thank you to **TamariChan, rachLA, ja det ku du lide at vide, Knight-Em, and RoyalLady9099** for reviwing the last chapter**** and also, I was experimenting with how I write fight scenes. I hope you enjoyed! Good bye and have a wonderful day! See you next chapter! :D**

**Warmest Regards,**

**Nell **


	5. Visitors

Two days after Charm's initial attack, Alanna sat by her friend's bedside, worried. What if Roger truly decided to kill the innocent girl? If so, what would he gain? It all made her head hurt but no matter how hard she tried to clear it out, it stood stubbornly, rooted in her brain.

"Alanna," Charm said in her cheerful voice. "Why don't you show me one of your nice dresses? One from Jonathan."

The squire's eyes widened as she looked up to her friend. "But why?" She didn't need an answer. Pity and worry swirled in her eyes; Charm simply wanted Alanna to stop worrying.

She sighed. "Very well." And she left the room.

Alanna dashed through the halls and into her cambers, quickly slipping on her wig and a frilly blue and pink dress. She looked in the mirror and switched the hue of her eyes to blue. "Perhaps this _will_ get my mind off him."

She went back to Charm's room in the infirmary, slower than when she left; people wouldn't think odd of a page running through the halls but when a _lady _would run through the halls, there'd be something wrong.

When she got there, she smiled. "Back."

Charm clapped her hands. "Twirl, twirl!"

Alanna laughed and spun around. It really _was _a beautiful dress. What could've brought the Prince buy it for her? It was truly odd, in fact. He had been so nice the past week. Was it an omen? Was he nice because he knew that he was at death's door? She was sick with the thought of losing Jon.

Without warning, she stopped spinning around. It felt as if she was choking. _Is this what Charm felt? _She asked herself. And she collapsed on the ground, unable to breathe. The only word she managed to spit out was _"Help."_

* * *

><p>She awoke hungry, and weary-eyed. "Where am I?" she said drowsily. She looked around and saw Charm on her left side. "The infirmary?"<p>

"Yes," Charm said in her usual -right now, sickening -cheer. "You've been asleep for two hours."

That made Alanna sit bolt upright. "Two _hours?"_ Her friend nodded placidly. "That means I've slept through lunch! I can't continue to lay here. I've work to do. Where's Faithful?"

She looked around. Faithful should be there; whenever she was in trouble, Faithful would be at her side.

"Who's Faithful?" she asked.

"Faithful's Alan's cat. Black, purple eyes. Irritating? Ring a bell?" She looked at Charm.

"Yes. He came in here, scrutinized me, then told me that he couldn't stay with you because you look like Ariana when he's _Alan's_ cat." Her even brows furrowed in confusion. "I'ven't a clue how I knew what he was saying, but I did."

But Alanna wasn't listening to her. She was wondering how in the world she got sick. _Perhaps Thom was right, _she thought. _Charm's the bait and I'm the fish... I won't need to fake Ariana's death. I'm going to die. _

With that, she swung her legs over the bed, intending to go to find help. Alas, she got dizzy, and fell back on her sheets.

* * *

><p>The Prince sat idly by his father, studying the charts lay out on his table.<p>

"Dunlath has been dropping in the market rates lately," his father said thoughtfully.

Jon was only half listening. He could think of dozens of other things that he could be doing instead of listening to his father lecture about apples or oranges going to and from other fiefs.

_Meow,_ something said in the distance.

His ears pricked. _Why was there a cat in the royal throne room?_ He wondered. He looked around, searching for anything to take his mind off whatever Roald was saying.

Jon shouldn't've been surprised when he saw a black cat slipping through the doors. _Meow!_ Faithful said more insistently.

He looked at his father, thinking up a plan to get out. "Er —father."

Roald looked at him sharply. "Yes?"

"Could we possibly continue this another day? I don't feel very well." He sighed and put a hand to his head.

"Oh, of course," the King said sympathetically. "Time isn't an issue."

Jon smiled a small smile and stood from his seat, wondering just what Faithful wanted. He slipped out of the large doors and heard Faithful speak—really _speak!_

_Alanna's in trouble,_ he said. When faithful saw the look in the prince's sapphire eyes, he rolled his eyes— if cats could roll their eyes. _Don't look at me with those big, confused eyes. You knew that I could talk all along._

It was true, or at least, it was half-true. He had guessed that Faithful could speak the first time he heard Alanna and Faithful exchange a conversation. The prince's confusion faded away and was quickly replaced with anxiety. He walked along the corridor, Faithful trailing behind. "What d'you mean that Alanna's in trouble?"

_She's sick,_ he said frankly. _Sick like Charmaine. Let's go. _

Jon trotted after him, the very worst possibilities racing across his mind.

When he arrived at the infirmary, he went straight to Alanna, not noticing that Faithful had left without saying good bye. He was alarmed by her skin tone. _Just yesterday, we were laughing in the courtyard,_ he thought.

"Alanna?" he said softly.

Charmaine, who had been sleeping beside Alanna, opened her eyes lazily. "It's not Alanna right now, sir. She's Ariana today."

Jon's eyes darted towards the blonde. "How come you know Alanna's secret?"

"You should put a spell on this room or something. Elsewise, she'll be ruined." She yawned and sat up to drink water at her bedside.

"Right," Jon said. "I knew that." He spoke a word and the room was enveloped with blue.

Charm sighed. "That hit the spot." She looked around the room. "Isn't it curious that everyone's magic is a different colour? What if they all came together to perform a light show? That would be one of the most fantastic days of my life."

She looked at the visitor and her eyes widened. "Your Highness, my apologies!" She blushed hard. "I was half asleep! I didn't know that you were—"

Jon smiled. "It's fine, Charmaine. I'm just here to visit Alanna."

"She's sleeping, as you can see," she said bluntly. "Come back some other time."

The prince bit his lip. He didn't _want_ to come back at another time. The girl he loved was sick and he had no _idea_ how she got her illness— or what the illness is. "I'll just stay here. Wait 'til she wakes up."

Charm fidgeted in excitement. "Oh, yes. Of course, you can. We could talk. Get to know each other." Her eyes danced as she brushed her blonde hair straight.

Jon didn't mind admirers. He liked them, in fact. But with Charm's unnerving stare, he felt like prey and she was a tiger_._

To be safe, he sat on the other side of the room and waited. They sat there together as he fingered the sapphire amulet at his neck with only Charm's random questions to break the silence. "So what do you look for in a girl?" she asked casually after roughly half an hour had passed, acting cool.

"I don't know," he said, trying to avoid the topic completely. "I've never really thought about it."

She frowned, wondering how she could get an answer from him. It was a while before she asked another question. "Are you in love with Alanna?"

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the heat from creeping around his neck and all over his face. Jon, cool and collected Jon, was blushing. He shook his head sharply, evidently flustered.

Charm sighed. "So you _do_ love Alanna. Mithros, it seems like _everyone's _in love with Alanna. I wonder if I'll find my prince charming."

The prince looked up to see sorrow in her eyes. Without warning, pity welled up inside him. "I'm sure you'll find your prince someday."

She met his eyes, sorrow turning to painful hope. "You truly think so?"

He smiled. "I know so."

Charm scrutinized him. "You're lying."

"I am not," he remonstrated. "I don't lie. Never have, never will."

"Men always lie," she said scornfully. "They lie that you look beautiful in a dress. They lie that you'll find true love. They lie that they'll stay with you forever. Then they'll go off and run away to a different country for no good reason, without a word. Without a note."

Charm's thoughts travelled back to that day when she'd searched for him and he was nowhere to be found. He had joked that he was going to run away but she hadn't thought that he'd actually go through with it, especially when they hadn't said their farewells.

Her eyes now reflected mixture of shadowing rage and sorrow. Jon thought long and hard whether or not he should say something to her but in the end, he decided against it. It was the wrong time and place, the wrong situation. _Another time,_ he thought. _But not now._

At that moment, Alanna opened her eyes. "Jon?" she asked sleepily.

He quickly got to his feet. "Alanna, what happened?"

"Oh, well, my necklace got caught on something. I should be fine now. And I shouldn't be in this bed." She swung her legs over the bed, bringing on déjà vu. Foggy memories of labored breathing and fainting wavered in her mind like dreams but she wasn't sure if it was only a dream.

It felt like something wasn't right and she didn't like the feeling. The squire swore that she would get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.

"Alanna, are you quite alright?" he asked, genuine concern on his face.

"No, I'm not," she said worriedly. "I don't think I remember what happened before I fell asleep. Choking wouldn't cause me to faint…"

"Would you like me to do a memory spell?" he offered.

Alanna nodded her head hastily. He put his hand on her head and muttered something quietly. All of a sudden, she remembered what happened and paled. _I've Tommelbur poisoning… I'm going to die._

"Thank you, Jon. I remember now," she said. "It was like Charm. I couldn't breathe and then I fainted."

"Then that means we don't know what's wrong with you," he said gravely.

She thought for a while whether or not to tell him that she knew what was happening. In the end, she thought that it was best. He was her best friend; he had the right to know that she was dying. In fact, she should tell Raoul and Gary as well. They deserved the truth.

She opened her mouth to speak when she heard footsteps. Instead of telling him about the poison, she said, "Jon, eavesdropping spell." She had noticed earlier the blue tint around the walls.

He said another word and it disappeared.

From the door entered Roger of Conté, brilliant in a red and gold tunic paired with black hose. He was surprised to see who was in the bed but he didn't dare show it. Alan of Trebond was supposed to be lying in that bed, not Ariana of WhiteHorn. How Ariana got sick, he hadn't a clue. "I cannot believe that you're sick as well, Lady Ariana."

Alanna lay completely still. What was he doing there?

"Cousin, I didn't know you'd visit." Jon went over to give him a manly hug and pulled back.

"I visit Charm every day, your Highness," Roger informed his younger relative. "Just to keep her company. Although I see that I won't need to do that anymore, not with Ariana for her to speak with."

"Oh, you're welcome stay here anytime, Duke Roger," Charm said, batting her eyelashes. "I don't mind at all."

"I'll keep that in mind, Lady Charmaine," Roger said to her, flashing a smile. A visible blush spread across her face.

"Lady Ariana, would you mind if I asked you a question?" He waited for an answer.

It took a while for Alanna to figure out that he was addressing her. "Oh. Of course."

"Have you eaten anything strange, or accepted any food from strange people. Or just normal people?" He fiddled with a quartz crystal on his finger and she felt something in her mind. It was as if something was pulling the words from her mind, forcing them through her throat and out of her mouth. Her head didn't pound but it was so _odd. _

Against her incredible fear, she took a strand of her magic and tried to grab hold of its source but, to her surprise, the strand disappeared. She tried again and took a band of her magic; it worked. The sensation was gone. She also noted that Roger had stopped toying with his jewelry. "I can't say I have, your grace."

At that moment, she remembered something that happened the night before.

* * *

><p><em>"Oh, I'm sorry, Alan. I'm afraid that I've two left feet." The duke smiled and took a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe the squire's shirt.<em>

_"It's fine, your grace," she said politely. _

_They passed each other afterwards without another word, as if it never happened. But until the time she went to bed, her mind pulled at her, telling her that something odd happened that evening._

* * *

><p><em>It was Roger,<em> she realized. _And he was wondering if Alan had given me any of his food, which was impossible as Ariana hadn't attended dinner. Then again, the palace is a large place, he'd never know…_

When Alanna broke his spell, he was unpleasantly surprised. How could she have stopped his spell? And why in the world was her gift purple: the same colour as Alan's?

"Why do you ask, your grace?" she asked.

He looked at her sharply. "There is a man selling rotten candy in the lower city. His name's Kale. If you see him, do refuse politely. That candy can make anyone wish that they didn't have a stomach."

The squire was suspicious— and she wanted to say so. _I've no proof,_ she chided. Instead, she said. "I'll keep that in mind, your grace. But if you'd excuse me, I'd like to sleep."

"Of course." And with that, Roger exited the room.

"Jon," Alanna said urgently before he left the room. He turned and cocked a questioning brow. "Come're. I've something to tell you."

He strode over to her bedside. "Yes?"

"Wait… put up the eavesdropping spell again."Jon sighed and obeyed. To his surprise, Alanna put up her own eavesdropping spell as well, separating the room in two so that not even Charm could hear. "We have to make sure no one can hear."

"Even Roger?" he inquired.

"Yes, even Roger," she said quietly, sullenly. A lump started to form in her throat. "Jon," she croaked.

"Go ahead and say it, Alanna," said the prince patiently.

The words that came out were a whisper. "I— I'm going to…" She breathed in deeply. "I'm going to die."

"What was that? I didn't seem to catch it," he said, putting an ear to her lips.

"You dolt," Alanna chided, tears stinging her eyes and an ironic smile lighting her features.  
>"I'm going to die."<p>

But Jon did not smile. His face paled and reddened again. He pulled back. "Alanna, this isn't funny." His voice was raspy and his eyes glistened with held back tears.

"That's because it's not a joke." _I wish it was,_ Alanna thought. _You know how I wish it was._

Jon's mind raced with thoughts. How'd she know? How _could_ she know? What should he do, now that he knew? What would _she_ do in her remaining days? "Alanna, how can you be so _sure? _No one knows what you have. Not even they are sure."

"Listen. I have Tommelbur poisoning. You need to contact Thom as soon as you can." She looked away and blinked hard, trying best not to cry. _Knights don't cry, _she told herself. _So stop crying!_ But another part of her reasoned, _unless you get the antidote, you won't even become a knight._ That didn't break her stubbornness, however, and she didn't let the tears leak from her eyes.

"Tommelbur poisoning?" Jon asked, surveying her body with dancing, worried eyes. "Isn't that in Carthak? How could it come all the way here?" His voice was shaky, which was odd for the prince.

"It just did," she insisted. "Now go contact Thom. I want him to be at my funeral in a week."

Jon couldn't just leave her on her deathbed. "Duke Baird. He'll know what to do. He's Chief Healer. He'll _know."_ Now, _he_ was crying, unable to hold back tears.

"He won't. That's why he couldn't identify what Charm had! Because it's from Carthak! D'you think that he'll be able to cure it!" Alanna asked, meeting his blue eyes with fiery amethysts. "Go!"

The prince shook his head stubbornly. "Alanna, I can't lose you."

"You'll find another squire. He may not be as good as me, but you'll have to settle with him." Her eyes held pleading.

"But I can't settle for him," he whispered.

"Why not?" she demanded loudly, her voice cracking. _I'm so sorry,_ she was unable to say. She prayed that he'd live on after her passing. That he would continue on his way, strong, proud, and prig.

"Because I could never love him as I love you."

For the first time, Alanna saw the way his eyes shined, the tears floating in his sapphire orbs. For the first time, she saw the admiration they held. "No," she said, frightened as she fidgeted in place. "No. Jon, stop. The last week of my life has been complete drama. I don't love you like that. So do_ not_ make me guilty by telling me you love me before I die. It won't help anyone. Especially not me."

She hurt him. She could tell. It was written all over his face in the downcast of his glassy stare, the grim line of his mouth, the lines from clenching his teeth. "I'll go contact Thom then." He broke the spell and so did she. With that, he left the room, his feet making little sound.

"What was that?" Charm inquired; annoyed that she had been left out. She looked at Alanna, suddenly alarmed. "And why are you shaking?"

Alanna shook her head sharply to dismiss her question and buried herself in her blankets. She regretted what she just said. Perhaps she _did_ want some company. But Jon? He was her best friend and her knightmaster. Could she really risk their friendship for a chance at romance?_ No,_ she thought. _I may lose my life in a week but I don't want to have a lover at my bedside. I want my best friend._

* * *

><p>Jon went off to his chambers to speak with Thom through a magical link. Once he'd set it up, Thom's hazy orange robe appeared in the hearth. "Thom!" he called urgently.<p>

Thom didn't bother looking; he was bent over a book— and by the irritation in his wince, he wasn't happy with being disturbed. "Yes, your royal highness?" he asked sharply.

"We need you here at the palace," he said.

The sorcerer noted the pleading in the prince's voice but didn't think much of it. "Jonathan, I'd love to help you— really, I do. But distance is quite an obstacle when it comes to asking assistance. So unless you need my help in a week—"

"Alanna's dying," he cut in.

Thom froze in the middle of flipping the page, his ears pricking to the sound of his sister's name. "This isn't something to jest about, Prince," he snapped, looking into the fire. The look on the prince's pale face was grave.

Alanna couldn't be dying. She was too good a squire to be hurt, too healthy to ever get sick. And besides, he'd seen her less than a week ago, how could it all change in a matter of two days?

"Tommelbur poisoning," he informed him. Thom stood up abruptly, his hair standing up and his heart thumping in his chest. Jon continued as Thom hastily searched his room for a piece of paper, a face towel, a glass sample holder, and a plant tapper. "She told me to contact you. He said that she wanted you to be at the funeral in a week. And I suppose that she wants you to see her as she's still alive."

When Jon realized that Thom wasn't responding, he snapped, "What're you looking for that could be more important than Alanna?" _There are hardly any more important things than Alanna,_ he thought inwardly.

"I won't need to be at her funeral," he said, sounding miles away.

"Thom, you have to be there. And so does your father. I can't believe that you're going to let your own sister die without so much as a good bye!" he yelled, infuriated.

"Don't tell my father," Thom ordered urgently. "He'll just mess everything up, as always."

"Thom, what in _Mithros' name_ are you doing!" Jon barked.

He looked at him before he walked out the door, his eyes dancing and filled with fear, anger, and life. "I'm going to save my sister."

* * *

><p>Before going into the Exotic Garden, he was required to show a piece of paper that said he had been given permission to enter. He quickly asked Si-Cham to sign the permission slip. "I'm going to conduct some experiments on a certain plant," he lied, earning him a suspicious glower from the Master.<p>

He signed anyhow, knowing that Thom wasn't foolish enough to cause trouble with a mere plant. But after he left, Si-Cham sent a mage to look after him, just to be safe.

Thom showed the guard the paper and he let him in with a wary glance at the expert mage. The purple-eyed mage was watched by all eyes. He was a mystery, a threat. Moreover, he didn't like contact with people in the City. This led to rumors such as 'he's working for Carthak, trying to overrun Tortall.' Most didn't reach Thom's ears, or he didn't really mind; he was too absorbed in learning all he could.

Now, all he wanted —no, needed —to do was find the Chalint, the sole cure to his sister's ailment. He looked around and spotted a mage in a green robe stained by darker green and colorful petals. "Hmm…" he said to himself, trying to remember the mage's name. "You, Ramat, is it?"

The mage looked around curiously and found Thom. All of a sudden, his curious expression switched to that of dread. "It's Robert. And I thank you for remembering your manners," he drawled sarcastically.

"Yes, of course, Robert," Thom said hastily. "D'you happen to know where the Chalint is?"

The mage he addressed cocked a brown eyebrow. "Chalint? Why d'you need it? Has someone been poisoned?"

He sighed. Must _everyone _nose into his business? "I'm going to conduct some experiments on it," he lied, not for the first time.

But Robert saw the lie clearly. The mixture of haste, fear, and worry that overtook Thom showed; he didn't even bother to block a truth seeking spell. "Your sister has Tommelbur poisoning? No wonder you're so unsettled."

_This is why I don't talk to Robert,_ the copper-haired sorcerer thought irritably. _He's like a soft convent girl. So emotional and… sympathetic. _But he cursed himself all the same. How could he let this trainee slip through his defenses?

"Yeah, they're in aisle P-9," Robert said, a worried look on his face. "Good luck."

"Thank you," he said offhandedly, rushing to where he specified. Chalint was a type of cactus with thorns widely used for potions and acupuncture. Inside the green, rubbery shell was sweet tasting milk that clung onto toxins and brought it through the excretory through sweating or defecating.

"It'll be terrible," Thom said to himself. "But the ordeal will certainly be worth it."

"I never even knew you had a sister."

Thom looked up into Robert's gray-green eyes and groaned. It was either he ran very fast or he knew how to teleport because he could've sworn that he was on the other side of the room.

"I don't, so forget whatever you read in my mind." To the public, he really _didn't_ have a sister. And he knew that Alanna wanted it to stay that way —at least, until she won her shield.

"But I read it loud and clear: your sister is sick," he insisted.

"No, I simply made you _think_ that what my mind said was the truth," he said offhandedly, saying whatever first came to his mind. "It was an illusion of sorts." He took out his tree tapper and plunged the end into the cactus. He held the container where the milk dripped out and let it levitate there with a spell, trying not to overdo it. To his luck, it didn't fly through the Exotic Garden.

"Is there even a spell like that?" Robert asked as the other mage worked. Thom nodded. "But why go through all that trouble when you could just put an anti-truth wall up?"

"Because I wanted to test it out," he said, pausing the milk collection to wipe his forehead with the face towel. "See if it worked."

"And you really think that I'll believe that?" he asked, disbelieving.

"Yes, Robert. Because I'm sure you don't want to speak with me. You want to continue whatever you were doing in aisle B-4." He brought the cup level to his face to inspect it. It looked like healthy Chalint juice. Now, he had to get it to her. He couldn't trust anyone else to bring it to her; he had to deliver it himself. But how could he get there in less than a week?

"On second thought… Would you like to help save my sister?" He looked at Robert questioningly.

Robert couldn't deny an offer to help. And besides, his study could wait until the next day. "Just tell me what to do."

"I'd like it if you helped me create a spell or a potion to make myself a bird," he said thoughtfully.

The brunet's eyes widened. "It'll be terribly hard."

"But I know we're both wonderful sorcerers," he reasoned, turning on his charm. "Come, walk with me." He knew that he was using the poor mage, but if it meant saving Alanna, he didn't care.

* * *

><p>The same moment Thom walked into the Exotic Garden, Faithful brought a dazed Raoul through the infirmary door.<p>

_Alanna, Raoul was looking for you. He said something about confessing his emotions, I think, _the cat informed her before making for the door. _He stopped talking when I asked who he was going to confess to so I just guessed. Good luck._ And he was gone.

"Faithful just…" Raoul was still in shock. "The cat… it spoke to me. Cats… can…" He collapsed into a chair. "I've gone mad, I'm sure of it. Mithros, help me."

"It's eerie, I know," Charm said, amusement in her voice. "Especially with its purple eyes."

Raoul looked up and set his deep black eyes on the blonde. "Oh, hello. It's…" He snapped his fingers, trying to recall her name.

"Charmaine," she obliged with a smile that said 'I get that a lot.' "We met when Thalia first arrived."

He looked at the ceiling for a while, trying to scavenge the memory from his mind. He looked back at her and nodded. "Yes. I remember now. Charmaine. Get well soon." He put on a wide smile.

"Thank you," she said, smiling sheepishly.

Raoul looked at the pile of sheets on his right side. "Is that Ariana?" he wondered aloud. The blanket moved into a tighter ball. "Ariana, is that you? Why're you sick? What happened?" The questions just tumbled out of him, concern plain on his handsome face.

"Ariana, Raoul of Goldenlake is here to speak with you," Charm said cautiously.

The convent girl never really suspected that she was asleep; the soft, meaningless muttering and groans were enough to ensure her that Alanna was quite awake.

Under the sheets, Alanna's eyes widened. She'd managed to make the tears trickle out, little by little, because she couldn't stop it entirely. _Why is Raoul here?_ She asked herself.

She peeked through a hidden space in between the covers and saw the big knight's tunic. He was leaning over her, trying to see if she was awake. "Raoul?" She threw the covers off. "What're you doing here?"

He looked down and saw the pink quality of amethyst eyes. She had long let go of the spell. "Have you been crying?" he asked. "And are you lightheaded?"

"No, I haven't been crying," she snapped. "I just woke up. And why are you asking if I'm lightheaded?"

He straightened. "Your eyes are purple."

Alanna's eyes widened and she said, "Then yes, I'm lightheaded. Terrible headache I've got, really."

Raoul looked down. "Okay. Then I'll be going. Get well soon." He turned to leave.

"Wait." She grabbed hold of Raoul's wrist and he looked back. "Would you like to know the truth?"

He cocked a coal brow. "The truth?" The short period of time that they'd been acquaintances was the cause for his confusion; he didn't know her long enough to exactly know what she meant. _Perhaps she likes me, _he thought, excitement running through his veins. "Sure."

"You might want to sit down for this," she said, patting the bed. He obeyed.

Charm was looking at the two with wide eyes, wondering what would happen. _She's telling him, isn't she?_ She thought excitedly. _Ooh, I wonder how he'll react!_

Alanna breathed in deeply. _Okay, _she thought nervously. _No need to beat around the bush._ She wiped sweaty palms on the sheets.

"Raoul of Goldenlake, I am Alan of Trebond, Jonathan's squire. I'm a girl. The name given to me by my father is Alanna."

Her long-time friend blinked at her. "You must believe I'm an idiot to believe such a joke," he said, nervous laughter erupting from his throat. _So much for hope will make dreams come true,_ he thought grudgingly.

She looked down shamefully and took off her wig with a shake of her head to fix her fiery locks in place. "I'm the squire who you stood up for against Ralon." She looked up into his deep black eyes, expecting rage, disappointment, heartbreak. But she saw confusion. It seemed that she needed the whole story.

"When I was ten, me and my brother switched places. I went to the palace, he went to the convent. I cut my hair, bound up my…" she trailed off and waved a hand over her chest. Raoul nodded in understanding, a blush working its way on his cheeks.

"I worked my hardest to keep up and I became Jon's squire. But then, I decided to wear a _stupid dress,_" she spat out the words, "and I bumped into you. Jon talked me into ending it softly with you but after we danced… I just didn't have the heart."

Painful hope flashed in his eyes. _She didn't have the heart! _He thought. _So I have a chance!_

She went on through Jon helping her, Gary asking her if he could her escort, and the poem that she had almost forgotten. "Speaking of your poem, was it really you who wrote it?"

"Wait…" Raoul said. "So you're Ariana _and_ Alan?" He ran his fingers through his curls. "This is so confusing."

"I'm Alanna, Raoul. I'm a girl. So don't be afraid that you fell in love with your own sex," Alanna retorted.

Charm giggled and covered her mouth, reminding herself that eavesdropping was bad —and it was worse when she was _discovered_ eavesdropping. "Sorry. I was thinking of a joke I heard before," she said, pursing her lips to stop from giggling some more.

"Oh, and Charm knows this as well," Alanna added.

"That's amazing, Alanna." His voice held pure awe. He was certain that with this secret, he had fallen even further. "You're _amazing!_"

"So you're not mad at me?"

The knight blinked at her. "For what?"

"What d'you mean 'for what?' I lied to you! And you trusted me." This had been one of the most dreaded moments of her life for a long time. Now that it was happening, she started to wonder why it was so terrifying before.

Sure, she had lied to her. But if she'd wanted to be a knight all her life, she wouldn't have gone through all that hard work just to fulfill her dream. And besides, she was one of his best friends. How could he get mad at her?

"Alan —Er,— Ariana…" Raoul sighed. "This is a lot to take down. Just wait for it all to sink in. I'll get used to it soon enough."

Alanna laughed. "My name's Alanna. I swear I said so before I told you the story."

"Yes, _Alanna,_" Raoul said, a tinge of mockery in his voice. "But one can forget. Especially on such short notice."

"But didn't you notice anything before?" she wondered aloud. "Surely, there were some subtle hints— things I couldn't help for the life of me."

"Well, you never swam, not even after I asked you to. But I excused that because of your fear of drowning." Alanna made a face at that; she disliked ever admitting her fears. "And then there was your size." The girl pursed her lips; that was a bit of a touchy subject as well. He bit suddenly dry lips. "And then there was your delicate little nose. The notes that rang in your voice when you spoke."

The insults were gone, the lighthearted light in his eyes faded. Alanna shifted uncomfortably under his intense stare. She did_ not _like being scrutinized. "Notes?" she questioned.

As the pair sat in silence, Charm looked between the two. _Gods, it's like watching an opera! _She thought, excited. _So dramatic!_

His lips twitched. Gods, she couldn't make confessing easy, could she? "The musical quality in your voice."

Anxiety filled her laugh. "I have no _musical quality_ in my voice." She attempted in vain to make it sound mocking but it came out shaky, disbelieving.

His voice grew more nervous with every word. "Then perhaps it was your stubbornness. The way you thrust your chin forward when you feel a debate coming. The way you always have to prove yourself. And the truth that you don't really need to." He was beating around the bush, he knew. Obtuse approaches were not his forte— in fact, it took a long time to even muster up courage!

His face coloured significantly, and Alanna didn't see the big burly Raoul who walked onto the battlefield in Tusaine. Not now. She saw the shy, level-headed Raoul —someone that hadn't been hidden inside, merely overlooked by eyes searching vaguely. "Surely, there were some subtle hints—things I couldn't help for the life of me."

She groaned inwardly. Did all her words have to be used as weapons against her? She had to wait for some moisture in her mouth before she could respond. "I have no idea what you're talking about…" She tossed her head to one side, deliberately avoiding his eyes.

He snorted, eyes properly downcast. Shouldn't she know that someone she'd known for so long would be able to read her? "You ought to know."

She pursed her lips. "I don't need to do anything about it," she remonstrated.

"So you_ do_ know." His eyes flicked up to meet hers, face still as red as a tomato. "You have no clue how relieved I was when I found 'Ariana.'" He noticed that as she sat up, Alanna went pale, and then red again. Her cheeks puffed up and she retched, a black-red liquid spilling from her mouth.

"Call Duke Baird," she said, looking up to meet worried eyes.

Raoul rose to obey. A part of him damned his timing. _Of all the times of the day, I confessed when she threw up…_

Alanna was relieved when he left the room. She didn't want anyone else to like her. She wanted to keep herself to, well, herself. _But you did want someone to keep you company,_ a small part of her —probably the meddling Goddess within her— said. _Someone who wasn't your best friend. Admit it. You like Raoul. _She wiped her lips. _And besides, if you really wanted to drive him away, you would've aimed for him when you threw up._

But she sighed that he had to leave. She still didn't get the answer to her question: Was Raoul's poem truly written by him?

* * *

><p><strong>(AN) Hi! OMG!~ It is finally up! I am _so _sorry for keeping you guys waiting! You'ven't a clue how hard it is to deal with a sick character. I had to change 'Ariana's' dialogue so many times to fit the sickness, her personality, and the storyline. Goddess, I hope she gets better— and soon. Muahahaha! Can anyone guess the pairings? I've decided now and I have an ending in mind. (because if I don't figure out an ending, then this fic will go on and on.)**

**Gah! I reread this, and I really wanted to edit it . because... Raoul is so OOC! It was originally supposed to be... wait. I shouldn't tell you guys, should I? Hmph. It was supposed to be *Blank* so I sort of just replaced his name with Raoul's. So sorry 'bout that!**

**Anyways, I hope this makes up for my incredibly long absence. It's 6100+ words! And that's not including this A/N. So please forgive me. *puppy dog pout***

**Teeehee. I was so tickled when I saw so many have my story on alert. ^_^ Thank you to those who reviewed! Mithros, this is getting long!**

**Until next time, readers! I hope you liked this chapter! And as always, reviews are wondersome! (No, I don't think wondersome is a real word but it sounds... wondersome! So I'm going to use it) :D**

**Warmest Regards,**

**Nell**

_P.S. D'you guys like long or short chapters? And why? Please feel free to tell me by reviewing or PMing. I always love to hear from my readers! And also feel free to guess who the pairings will be in the end. :3_


	6. Wonder and Try

Alanna's dreams were plagued with visions of her friends getting hurt, going away, falling into a crevasse. These caused her to wake up sweaty, throat sore from screeching. These certainly were not symptoms of the tommelbur poisoning, right? This was just her mind, worried for the people around her, worried that when she died, no one would be able to protect them.

A night passed and Raoul didn't leave her bedside. He slept in a cot beside them, ate breakfast, lunch and dinner there. He only left to train for an hour because Jon wouldn't stop nagging him about getting out of shape.

"You're lucky," Charm murmured. "A man always by your side."

"Oh, shush, Charm," the squire chided. "I never wanted any of this; how am I lucky?"

"Alanna, d'you think that I might die soon?"

The violet-eyed girl looked at her friend sharply. She knew that the chances of their survival were very slim. But she also knew that the knowledge of that wouldn't help. "I believe that whether you'll die soon or not, you should live every day to its fullest." She swallowed.

Charm sighed. "So you do think that I might die soon…"

This was not Charmaine. Charmaine was the bubbly, flirty, random, ditsy convent girl gossip that had befriended her at her first ball. Not 'Charm', the depressed girl on her deathbed.

"I don't, Charm," Alanna said sternly. "Don't lose hope. We don't even know what this illness is so don't give me that _crap_."

The convent girl's eyes shined with held back tears but the edges of her lips pulled up into a smile. "I'll make sure that I won't let any such _crap_ escape my mouth."

"Good." The red-haired girl settled back on her pillow and yawned. She was sleepy.

* * *

><p>"And you're sure this will do the trick?" Thom asked Robert.<p>

The green-robed mage nodded. "The Hawk's feather was from my very own Goshawk: Regim. And the Wallink syrup was straight from the adult in the Exotic Garden."

Thom gave a thoughtful 'hmph'. "Very well. If this works, then put the vial's string in my beak."

"And you should also bring some of the potion," Rob told him. "We don't know when it'll run out."

The violet-eyed mage rolled his eyes. "Oh, fine." He said an alien word and the potion glowed bright purple then faded back to its original greenish- blue. "Now, it should last for two days— and that's only half of the potion."

"Show off," Robert scoffed, annoyed.

"I'm drinking it now," Thom said, ignoring the tone in his colleague's voice. "Be ready."

He gulped down half of the concoction and winced. He felt his bones lighten as they were exchanged for the hollow ones of a bird. Hair turned into feathers and his face into that of a hawk's: pointed beak and eyes looking forward, the sign of a predator.

He screeched, telling Robert to get the vial's string. The Green-robed mage obeyed and watched him fly through the room's window. "Mithros, Mother of Mountains, and Asintha," he whispered, eyes closed. "Please keep him safe, and please make sure that his sister survives."

* * *

><p>Gary set his tray down beside Jon. "What's wrong?" He climbed into his seat, a piece of bread already in his mouth.<p>

"Nothing," Jon said. It wasn't convincing; the monotonous word he uttered carried sorrow and regret, two things that Jon didn't have with him normally.

"And you expect me to believe that?" his brunet cousin asked, amusement in his voice.

The prince shook his head hopelessly and Gary laughed. "There's no use just moping about it, then. Go ahead and spit it out."

"What's wrong with Jon?" Alex joined their table, an odd addition considering he'd drifted away ever since he'd gone under Roger's care.

The brown-eyed man shrugged. "He's just brooding."

"About what, I suppose?" The slim knight looked at the coal-haired one, a calculating expression on his face.

"It's better just to leave him. He looked the same ten years ago, when his pet cat died."

Alex raised his brows, surprised. "Cat?"

Gary nodded. "I just hope it won't last as long."

The prince wasn't listening to the conversation around him. He had to do something! He couldn't let Alanna die just like that. He sighed and poked at the food in front of him. But he also knew that going to her wouldn't help either of them.

He had never heard words that stung so much like onions in the eye, much less words like that from _her_. He didn't want to remember them. So he lifted his head up. "How about we go for a ride," he suggested.

The two knights smiled. "Now, that's the Jon we know."

* * *

><p>"Alanna, if we're going to die, I want to thank you."<p>

Charm tore the blanket of silence that the female squire had been enjoying for more than an hour.

"Charm, that's not—" She was cut off.

"Just shut up, Alanna. I wanted to tell you something." Her tone was that of a four year old, being taken of her doll.

The purple-eyed patient laughed. "Go ahead."

"I want to thank you," she repeated, shifting under the covers. They'd changed into a ward's attire: a plain blue dress made for comfort, not fashion. Alanna squirmed and refused that any healer touch her; scars on a 'prim and proper' noble lady would surely make them speculate.

"Before coming to the palace," she continued. "I'd been alone."

Alanna's eyes widened. "You? Alone?"

"Yes, now shush. This is my moment," Charm snapped, making her friend go silent. "I'd been too talkative and the other girls turned to avoiding me. Even the instructors didn't like me. They said that I was too loquacious and plain weird. That I was unbecoming. Then, I met a boy during summer." She turned on her side and closed her eyes, smiling.

Silence passed. Alanna wasn't sure whether her friend had fallen asleep, lost courage, or had been daydreaming.

"And then?" Alanna prompted. "You wanted to tell a story, and now that you get the chance, you don't finish it?"

Charm shook her head to clear it of her daydream. "Right. Sorry." She blushed. "Anyways, his name was Oswald and he had the most perfect green eyes ever. Not to mention his hair was the perfect messy. But enough about appearance!"

The blue-eyed noble giggled. "We'd watch the sunset from my window sill, and he'd tell me stories about his life as he made a ring of flowers and then I'd tell him some stories as I drew him in a sketchbook… That'd happen every evening and he'd go once the sun had disappeared. I'ven't a clue how he became so good at jumping from tall places. He said that he grew up as a mere peasant."

Charmaine's bubbly tone vanished with a gulp and a lump in her throat. "And then one day, he joked about running away from everything. His problems, his family... I didn't believe him. Then, a week after, I ended up sitting there… drawing a ring of flowers, waiting for someone that wouldn't come. I stayed there the next day as well, and ended up waiting for nothing. Hoping for nothing. I believed… that he really ran away."

Alanna jumped at the sudden sobbing. She'd never heard her friend cry before. In truth, she hadn't heard someone cry so sorrowfully and meaningfully since Francis' funeral. She heard footsteps. Her eyes flicked to the door way to see Jon at the door.

"So… That explains your opinion of men." His voice came out quiet, unsteady.

The red-headed page widened her eyes at the prince. His clothes were soaked through with sweat and smeared with mud. Where had he gone to get so… filthy?

Charm's laugh broke her musing. Not a giggly, girly, flamboyant laugh. A laugh. Genuinely amused little laugh.

"Of all the things to come to mind, Alanna, you think of such an odd, perverse, unrelated question!"

"Charm!" Alanna said in an urgent whisper.

Jon wiped the sweat off his forehead. "It's not Alanna." He walked over and sat on his squire's bed.

The blonde turned around slowly, but quickly went under the covers once he saw his sapphire eyes, looking expectantly at her. "My greatest apologies, Prince Jonathan. I am not decent. I mustn't show my face."

The boy sighed.

"What are you doing here, Jon?" Alanna chided, trying to make her voice loud enough for Jon to hear and yet quiet enough so Charm couldn't.

"_Someone_ was joking around while we were out for a ride and Gary ended up getting stuck in a lake of sludge. It took all three of us to get him out." He rubbed the back of his neck. "He's fine now. So I made my way back and heard you two."

"And then you decided to eavesdrop," Alanna sneered. "Of course."

He opened his mouth to protest but shut it quickly when he realized that there was nothing worth saying.

The squire let out a small 'hmph' and glared at him. "Now, go away. I've a feeling that Charm won't get out from under the sheets until you do."

The coal-haired knight bit his lip. He looked at the lump of blankets, eyes worried and contemplating. Perhaps he was wondering whether or not he could do anything to help. In the end, he stood. "May all gods bless, ladies. And may you two recover from this illness." With that, he walked out of the room, heels the only sound filling the silence.

"Mithros, Mynoss, and Shakith!" the blue-eyed convent girl said, rubbing her face and emerging from the white cloth. "The prince makes me so nervous! Oh, I can't believe he heard all of that!"

"Right," she said, a bit dizzy. She could feel it coming. Her saliva was getting thin. Her stomach about to heave. She went over the side of the bed and wretched above the basin ready for her upchuck. There was something new. The blood she spit up was purple. "I don't know what that means…" She collapsed back on the bed and coughed. "But it certainly isn't good." With that mumble, she lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Thom the hawk wobbled uneasily as he glided through the azure sky at top speed, the vial still in his beak. He had an uneasy feeling in his stomach, and he wasn't sure if it meant it was time for lunch or if something bad was happening.<p>

He wobbled a bit more, cursing his lack of physical endurance. It wasn't only the flying that took its toll on him; it was the low temperatures. If one handed him a spell for flying, he could configure, dissect, and rebuild it in less than an hour and spend the rest of the day considering how it worked, where it originated, and if he could make it better. But if one told him to _fly_, he wouldn't last more than several hours. Surprisingly, he had already been in the air for five hours.

The wizard stubbornly pierced through the sky, putting a spell on his little body to keep his stamina up. He had to get there as soon as possible, and the potion he drank had only three hours left. He had to keep going. Not one minute could be wasted.

He flew over a dense forest, blanketed by a layer of snow. Perhaps he could find an unfrozen river or a lake for him to drink and rest. He certainly needed to rest soon. Passing out would waste more time than stopping. _If it takes roughly seven days to travel there on horse-back, and goshawks can travel three times the speed of a horse… it should take at most three days, _he thought.

He sighed inwardly. It was still much too long. He needed to get to his sister as fast as possible. But he could only fly on, and settle for the current circumstances.

The hawk felt like he was flying more than one hundred and fifty miles per hour, although he was well aware that he couldn't stay at that rate for too long. All this flying got him thinking, hoping, regretting. What if he was held up? And then it'd be too late?

He cursed and cursed and cursed himself. He should've known by the time Alanna reached out to him that something bad was going to happen to her sister. Why didn't he act upon those instincts? Why couldn't he leave his experiments for once?

The forest thinned beneath him, and he noticed a river. _I may as well rest for a while, _he mused. Within half a second, he was diving at more than one hundred miles per hour down to the river, and he only swooped up when he was about to make contact with the water. _Perhaps I could get used to this form,_ he thought, laughing inwardly. He settled at the river bank.

"What's that…"

A voice came from behind him and he turned carefully, fear washing over him. It had been a long time since he felt fear. He was one of the best students at the City of the Gods, and it was usually _him_ who was feared. But he knew he was vulnerable as a bird, and he wasn't sure whether whoever found him was friendly with winged creatures.

* * *

><p>Thalia swooped through the palace halls. If anyone else walked so fast, they'd look weird, and troubled. But Thalia didn't. She still looked like a princess, her hair flowing behind her as she smiled at the people she passed by. It was a mystery how she did it, she had her own brand of magic.<p>

After a few turns, she arrived at her destination: Ariana and Charmaine's room. She took a moment to catch her breath before she opened the door. What she saw didn't surprise her, but it also didn't exactly make her rejoice. Ariana and Charmaine were asleep and pale, lying on two individual beds. Her blue eyes almost filled with tears. Both of the women that she'd entrusted her product to looked like they were at the Black God's Door. She also saw an extremely large man in a tunic and breaches, his curly hair unruly.

"Oh, my…" The two whispers sounded delicate and concerned, the way a princess's speech should.

The man turned and set black eyes on her. He stood and bowed to her, as he would to any lady. "Good day, madam," he said formally. "I take it you're here to see Ariana and Charmaine." Courtesy required him to welcome and entertain her.

She curtsied, and smiled a warm smile— one that would cause anyone's insides to melt and skin to go red. But he didn't blush, he only smiled back. Was he courting Ariana? She didn't know. But it sure looked like love was in his eyes.

"Excuse me, sir. But could I have the honor of knowing your name?" she said, venturing further into the room. She an ermine cloak over her floor-long emerald layered dress. She took the cloak off for now and set it on an oak chair, since the room was being heated by a hearth. She offered him her hand.

"Raoul of Goldenlake." He took his hand in hers, and kissed the back of it. "And yours?"

She raised her brows. He'd actually forgotten her. "Thalia, princess of Galla."

His eyes widened. "My greatest apologies." His mutter was accompanied by a deeper bow.

"Pay my title no heed," Thalia said. "How are they faring?" A worried look crossed her face, but was quickly washed away. Worry lines were not what a princess needed.

Raoul sighed. "We don't know what's causing the sickness. Ala—" He caught his own tongue. "Ariana, she threw up purple blood." A shiver went down his spine. "Duke Baird believes that maybe her Gift is fighting the illness, but I don't know…" He turned to stare at Ariana's face. "She doesn't look any better."

Thalia put a hand on his shoulder. "I know. I'm concerned as well. But with Ariana's fighting spirit, I'm sure she'll get well anytime now." She didn't need to say anything reassuring about Charm; he didn't seem to mind her that much.

His lips twitched in an effort to smile. "I hope that what you say is true, Princess."

"You're so pale that you seem to have gotten sick as well," she remarked. "Have you even eaten supper?"

His head flicked to look at her, eyes wide with shock. "Is it twilight already?"

"Much past. I rode out as the sun began to sink behind the horizon."

He looked between the door and Ariana. He was probably choosing which to choose: food or watching over her. She strode further in and sat at Ariana's bedside. "You can go, Raoul. I'll watch over them for the time being."

His right cheek sank in, and it seemed like he was chewing something. She figured that he was chewing on his cheek. "Take care of her. And watch out for throw up, and incoherent nonsense coming out of her mouth. Tell her that I went to eat dinner, and that I'll be back soon."

Thalia smiled. She recognized that worry very well. It was how a lover would worry. "Go on. I'll be sure to do just that."

With a final look, he dashed out of the door. She could still hear his heavy footsteps even as the door slammed shut.

"My dear, what have you gotten yourself into?" she whispered to Ariana, although she was obviously asleep. Ariana stirred, and she realized that her locks were red, not black. Also they were too short to be hers. Perhaps they cut it off and dyed it? That wouldn't make sense.

The princess rubbed a specific part on her neck, brows knit together in thought. It could very well be that the sickness got to her hair… but if it had reached that far, then would she not be dead? Also, Charmaine's hair didn't seem to have changed.

"Jonathan…"

For a moment, she thought that she was awake. But she soon realized that Ariana was only talking in her sleep. "Shh…"

"But Jonathan… He needs me…" She rolled over.

Thalia inhaled sharply. _What could this mean? _Was she having a strange vision, where she played the role of a knight and she was going to save the prince? Although that seemed like a beautiful idea, it was pretty farfetched. Although that didn't mean that Ariana couldn't experience it in a dream.

And then there was an awful possibility. She could've been cheating on Raoul. Or, if Raoul was only courting her, then she might've been more interested in Jonathan than in him! She sighed. "Poor Raoul… And Jonathan isn't even at her bedside like he is…" Thalia couldn't blame her, though. Who _couldn't_ fall in love with the crown prince? Tall, handsome, smart, charming, witty. Even Thalia herself found herself attracted to him— but she couldn't let people know that, and she couldn't let herself fall. She was a princess, and although it was a lovely place, Tortall was not her home.

She found herself thinking back to the sickness itself. Wasn't there any way she could help? She'd been watching mages at work for a year and a half now; she must've picked up something useful. She dug up her mind for something resourceful. What could've caused the sickness?

_Allergies?_ _No, the chances of them both being allergic are slim, since they're very distant relatives…_ She moved onto the knuckle of her thumb. _Something dirty? That could be it. They spend enough time together for it…_ Her mind continues to go on, cogs working slowly but surely.

When she started chewing the base of her thumb, she realized that the things she was thinking of must've been thought of before. She'd need to have more information to conduct a proper investigation. And the two people she could've asked were asleep and sick.

She groaned. Boredom and helplessness: two of the things that she hated the most. She stood, if only just to move around. In an attempt to start pacing, her heel caught on a part of the rug, and she fell onto Ariana's legs. She yelped, and then bit her tongue. She was in a room with two sleeping patients! Ariana stirred, successfully kicking Thalia's back. But the princess couldn't open her mouth, or else she'd wake them up.

Slowly— very slowly— she tried to remove herself from the bed. She was incredibly thankful that Raoul had left; otherwise she would've been downright shamed.

Her attempt to escape was soiled, however, when Ariana hooked her leg onto Thalia and kicked her back down. "You're doing that on purpose!" she whispered, outraged. But she reminded herself to keep a level head. She breathed deeply in and out, and tried to wriggle out of her hold.

"Don't leave me…" Ariana whined in her sleep. A tinge of fear was laced in her voice. Thalia wondered just what was going on in her dream.

She sighed. "I suppose that I'll just stay here, then…"

Not a minute later, Ariana yawned and woke up. She moved her legs, trying to investigate what was caught in them. She propped herself on her elbows and saw Thalia. "What in Mithros' name are you doing in my legs, Princess!?"

Thalia closed her eyes and scoffed. _Really? Of all times?_ But Ariana released her, and she was thankful. She sat up on the bed, and studied Ariana's face. Something seemed off. Were her eyes actually purple? "I came to see how you and Charm were faring. I'd heard that the two of you were sick with an unknown sickness."

She stared at her, and Ariana squirmed. "Is there something on my face?" she demanded, embarrassed.

"Your eyes… were they always that shade of purple?" The princess tilted her head, eyes squinting.

"Well, of cour—" Her eyes widened, and she slapped her hand over her mouth. "I mean. I'm lightheaded. I said that when my eyes are purple, I get lightheaded. That's all."

Thalia sighed and put pressure on a specific part below her ear. "That was a terrible cover, Ariana. What really are you hiding?"

Ariana chewed on her thumb, her face coloring for just a moment. "You should probably listen carefully if you want me to tell you, Princess Thalia." She gulped, and by the looks of it, she looked like she was having a hard time.

She blinked at her. What did she expect to find out? She certainly had no idea that there was actually something so important to have a warning. "Go on… I'm all ears."

* * *

><p>Alanna shifted under the sheets. She'd very well forgotten that she was Ariana for the moment, and that she was supposed to be wearing her wig.<p>

How was she supposed to say this? She'd only known Thalia for what—a week? She couldn't possibly explain it to her, and then have her understand and forgive her. But she was on her deathbed, and she didn't want to die with all these secrets to her friends.

"Okay…" she breathed.

"Ariana, you've repeated that very word several times," Thalia said, lips pulling up to form a held back smile.

"Okay…" She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had to say it someday— and that day seemed to be the most convenient. _I'll just blurt it out._ She looked down. "I'm Alanna of Trebond, and I'm trying for knighthood." Her words must've been so fast that Thalia wouldn't understand. She half hoped that she didn't— then she could laugh it off and dismiss the whole thing. But if she demanded to know, then she'd be forced to say it all over again.

Thalia's lips pulled to a grim line. She seemed to have heard. "Ariana, if this is a farce, now isn't the time for one."

"It's not, Thalia. I swear by Mithros." She looked up to meet stormy blue eyes. The princess' pupils moved a lot, as if examining every inch of Alanna's face. The squire did _not_ like it.

"I believe you," Thalia finally said.

Alanna let out a little sigh of relief.

"But I still don't understand at all." Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Alright…" It was more of a sigh than a word. "I'll explain."

She retold her story: the one that she'd only repeated to two people before she put on a dress. And now, after the uncomfortable ordeal, she has repeated it to two more people. Thalia would be fifth.

The princess nodded as she told her story, fingers sometimes picking at the sheets and lips sometimes twitching at the content. By the time she finished, the sheets were full of wrinkles and had a hole in it.

"Do you get it now?" It had been moments since she'd ended the story.

Thalia grinned; that was the last thing Alanna thought that she'd do. "Ariana, you are amazing!" She gave her a quick but firm hug. "Imagine that! Switching places, becoming a knight. It's a beautiful dream come true!" Alanna croaked to be let go, and Thalia obeyed. "Sorry 'bout that."

Alanna smiled a bit. "It's okay. And my name's Alanna of Trebond."

Thalia sighed. "If only I could do the same thing."

_You wouldn't want to,_ Alanna thought. Thalia had the spirit, that was true, but she'd need extra hard to get to where Alanna was. Not to mention she'd have to fake a boy's voice, and by her shrill tone, it seemed that she wouldn't succeed at that.

The door slammed open to reveal Raoul. Alanna jumped, and then settled down. "It's you."

"Sorry. I had to eat." He wiped what looked like a semi-thick whitish substance off his chin. Alanna didn't want to know what it was.

Thalia's eyes darted between Alanna and Raoul. Perhaps she should've left. "I'll visit Prince Jonathan. There's something I'd like to ask him. Call me if Charm wakes up." With that, Thalia took her cloak and walked out the door.

"Well, don't just wait in the doorway, you big dolt," Alanna chided.

Raoul blushed and ducked his head as he closed the door. "I believe we have a conversation to continue…"

The squire bit her lip. She couldn't run for the exit. She could hardly make it past the bucket. "I suppose."

"I was saying that… I was so glad to find "Ariana." Because I'd fallen in love with…" He set large black eyes on hers. "I-I thought that I'd fallen in love with a man: A-Alan."

For some reason, that made Alanna's stomach warm. She felt giddy, and she swore that her neck was red. It was an odd feeling, but she didn't want to banish it away. She felt happy, too. She was ecstatic to hear that Raoul loved her before she even wore a dress. And that he only loved Ariana with the dress because society said that men could not love other men.

"You're smiling," Raoul said. "I don't know what that means. Are you laughing at me or happy or just smiling?" He rubbed his hands on his breeches. His face was incredibly red.

Her eyes widened. She hadn't realized she'd been smiling. Alanna wiped her mouth, as if that could wipe the grin off her face. Surprisingly, it worked."Sorry." Raoul sat on a chair by her bed. The moments passed in silence. Alanna groped for something to say. _You're forgetting something,_ she insisted to herself. _You're forgetting something very important!_

"The letter!" she finally said, thinking aloud. She put a hand to her lips. "A letter. I received a letter, and it _said_ that it was from you. I was never sure, though."

Raoul's brows furrowed. "Letter?" He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "I haven't even given it to you yet…"

"Then what was the thing I read a few nights ago?"

The big knight shrugged. "Why would anyone forge a love note? Maybe if I saw it, then I could determine the writing, or the style."

"I left it in my room," she muttered. She felt angry, betrayed. Someone had given her a fake love letter, and she wanted to know who the culprit was. "I'll deal with that later. And so should you." Sternness filled her eyes as she stared at Raoul. "Go to sleep. In your own chambers. I don't need a guard."

Raoul shook his head. "I don't know why, but I feel that if I leave you alone… something or someone'll get to you." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Please understand, I just don't want you to stay safe."

Alanna wondered about what he'd said. _Something or someone'll get to you._ He didn't have the Gift; how could he know that _something_ was out to get her? Maybe they had a strange connection. But that was too odd for Alanna. "Alright. But be sure to rest— either here or your room. We don't need any more sick people on our shoulders.

Raoul chuckled.

* * *

><p>The bird shuffled, as if trying to find its footing. George Cooper looked at it. It was a very odd sight, a bird standing on level ground. He stepped closer, his leather boots lined with ermine making a crunching sound of the snow. It had a black and brown pattern from the back, and a sharp downward beak. Its eyes were set forward, like a predator. But something was different with this one. Its eyes held intelligence. The bird turned.<p>

His hazel eyes widened as he was taken aback, startling the hood of his cloak off. The bird's front was white with black spots, a lot like ermine. But that wasn't out of the ordinary. What caught his attention was the vial hanging at its mouth. It was probably a messenger bird of some sort. But messenger birds could only deliver messages so far. What was this one doing in the middle of the forest, having a break?

If George wasn't sure that it was a bird, he could've sword that recognition flashed in its eyes. It cawed, a shrill sound erupting from its mouth. The vial fell. Any other bird would've flown away at the sight of a human, yet this one was cawing at him. Perhaps he was in its territory? No, a bird with a vial was domesticated, certainly.

After a long time of cawing, it moved its head as if stretching its neck in exhaustion. It began scratching the snow. "What in Mithros' name…?" Once the bird was finished, it walked out of the way so George could read.

_Thom._

"Thom?" He had heard of Alanna's twin, but he was sure that her twin was a boy that looked very much like Alanna. And he was sure that Thom wasn't a bird. "If you're really Thom, nod your head. Or scrape the snow three times." The bird did both of what was mentioned. His brows furrowed. It was true that his Sight led him to things that were a bit odd, but this was rather unnatural. Nonetheless, he trusted his instincts that this was Thom.

"What are you doing?"

Thom cawed an annoyed caw.

"Right. You can only answer yes or no questions."

Thom nodded. George sighed.

"Now, how are we supposed to figure things out if you can't answer these questions?" He stroked his chin, glaring at the ground. He was whispering more to himself than anything else. "You're in bird form for a reason, yes?"

Another nod.

"You ought to explain how you did that to me later, lad…" He wagged his finger and started pacing. "Have you heard that Alanna's sick?" He stopped and studied him. The bird nodded vigorously. "Gods, this is weird." It wasn't everyday that George spoke with birds. "Is this something about Alanna?" He knew that Thom didn't care about anyone else but his twin. A nod. "Is the vial important? And you're taking it to her?"

More nods. "And you're a bird because… of experiments?"

Thom began to shake his head no, then nodded, then went back to shaking his little bird head.

"Alright… Well…" The King of Thieves didn't know much to say. In truth, he had been on the way to the City of Gods so that he could ask a mage for assistance. Now, he probably didn't need any. "If it counts…" He took out a piece of dried meat. "I don't want you to starve and resort to hunting rodents. He tossed it to Thom, and he gobbled it up.

He cawed thanks and took off, weaving through the trees. George had to gasp at the speed of the hawk. He ought to ask Thom what breed it was and get one himself.

George made his way back to his mare, and made for the way back. It was amazing how he'd travelled so fast in one day, and then stopped at the right time to see Thom. He was relieved to know that help was on the way, and that Thom would get to Alanna before he did. But he was still worried as he rode in his saddle. The uneasy feeling made him push his mare a bit harder. He wanted to get back to Corus with his love still alive.

* * *

><p>Jonathan of Conte stayed in his rooms late at night, contemplating. He wanted to know just what happened— where he had gone wrong. Perhaps it was too early to confess. Or too late. What if she'd fallen for Raoul already? His head started hurting. Despite the cold night, he felt hot and restless. He threw off his blanket and sat up. He clucked his tongue, rubbing his face.<p>

Was he jealous? Alanna was way more than just a girl that he wanted to win over. She was different, and unique. He wanted her happiness. He wanted to make her happy. And he wanted her. If Raoul shared his feelings, he didn't know.

He slammed himself into the bed. If only he could stay with her! But Raoul had replaced him. That was evident. Something small pricked his heart and he rolled over. He forced himself up, just to jolt himself out of despair. He could have anyone else at court, and yet he fell in love with the only one who vowed never to fall in love. It was ridiculously stupid! Why was his heart so unreasonable?

But he knew that those were the least of his worries. Alanna was in danger. And he had no idea of what caused it. Not a single clue. Tommelbur poisoning seemed very farfetched, but still he believed Alanna. Maybe Thom had gone to help her. But _time,_ he realized. It'd take up a lot of time. Alanna would need to endure days of hardship before her brother came to her aid. If only he could accompany her in those times.

He sighed. "Wallowing's not going to get you anywhere, Jon." With that, he climbed back into the sheets and tried very hard to doze off. In the end, he succeeded.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN) Okay, I'm sorry for being absent for more than half a year. I hope this makes up for it? If any of you guys thought that I was dropping this fic, be happily informed that I have an ending and it's on the way~! :D**

**Have I mentioned that I love Thom? Because... I do. :3 He's my favorite Redhead — right up there with Merric.**

**Waah~! So I read an article on POV, and I realized that I'd been doing the wrong thing for so long. So I'm trying to fix up my writing, but it's so much _easier_ to do it the wrong way. I hope I did well here, though. But tell me all your thoughts about this chapter in a review. It'd help me greatly! Tell me if you didn't like anything, or if there are issues that I should fix up. Or just drop me a line! I'd certainly appreciate it.**

**Also, I think I know why I was having a very hard time writing. Before we moved, I had my books within my reach on a bookshelf not that far away from the computer that I use. While I'd write, I would glance at my beautiful books for some reason. Maybe just to think clearly, or to remember something canon. When we moved, the computer and my books were in different rooms. I found myself staring at empty space, and maybe those books were what I needed to concentrate. So I moved it recently and here's the next chapter!**

**I hope you liked it! Sorry for rambling. I've missed you guys ;_; If you guys want to talk to me, just drop me a line.**

**Warmest Regards,**

**Nell**


End file.
